The Promised Future
by Padawan Di-Lee
Summary: Captured at age 4 and raised as a Sith by the Emperor, Luke is caught in a power struggle between Vader and Palpatine when he encounters Leia and has a whole new dimension added to his life.
1. Prelude A Child Lost, Chap 1 A Young S...

George Lucas owns all the characters, the basis for the plot, and pretty much everything about the following fanfiction. In addition, verbatim dialog from the SW movies and excerpts from the published novels are included in this fic. The story is not being written for any profit or advancement, but merely for fun.

Summary: This is an AU focusing on Luke and his struggles with the dark side, reflected by those of his father. However, this is not what I would strictly call a Luke/Vader fic. It is a full blown OT AU with central roles for many characters, including Leia, Obi-Wan, Yoda, Han and others. The EU is also drawn from for more peripheral roles - no previous knowledge is required. Mara Jade is among the peripheral characters.

This story parallels the OT until AU events overcome it.

The Promised Future

Prelude: A Child Lost

Obi-Wan raced ahead with all his Force abilities focused on increasing his speed and finding the quickest path through the dark forest that lay before him. Trees and foliage went past in an indistinguishable blur as he darted around the immovable obstacles. The smaller bushes and various animals he gracefully hurdled without even the slightest break in his stride as he barreled recklessly onward. He was moving much faster than any normal man could ever hope to achieve on foot, but still Obi-Wan knew it would not be enough. The faint traces of acrid smoke seeping into the morning air warned that the attack had already begun.

Unable to spare the energy to contemplate failure, he redoubled his efforts and was rewarded with a slight increase in his already astonishing speed and agility. Expending this much Force energy in his race against time meant he may well be worthless when he got there, but if he was too late, being able to fight would hardly matter. Nothing would matter.

As he approached the small clearing that served as a modest home and secluded safe haven for his young charge, Obi-Wan began to sense the presence of a half dozen hostiles occupying the property. He adjusted his focus slightly and summoned his remaining strength to prepare for the impending confrontation. Finally reaching the edge of the forest, he burst into the clearing only to realize that the fight, such as it had been, was over.

Off to the left the main house was engulfed in intense flames, the work of two soldiers whose current efforts sought to turn the larger work shed into a similar conflagration. The four remaining soldiers were lugging the bodies of two of their fallen comrades toward a pair of speeder bikes and a small troop transport parked on the opposite side of the clearing. The trampled forest over there indicated that a larger force had invaded the area and withdrawn in the same direction. These few had apparently been left behind to clean up. The white armor they wore and the efficiency with which they went about their task clearly marked them as Imperial stormtroopers.

Obi-Wan had time to process little else before the two troopers on his left opened fire. He met the assault effortlessly, igniting his lightsaber on pure instinct and deflecting the laser blasts back into his assailants with deadly precision. The other four had immediately dropped their burdens upon his arrival and now brought their blasters to bear as well, but again Obi-Wan was not deterred. Wielding his lightsaber in defense from their shots, he pushed forward into the barrage, intent on reaching the foremost speeder bike beyond them.

_'They can't be that far ahead. There is still a chance I can save the boy,'_ he thought with renewed resolve.

Driven now, he sliced efficiently through the remaining stormtroopers as they came into direct range of his lightsaber. But as the last one fell to his blade, Obi-Wan could hear the whine of repulsorlifts firing somewhere up ahead. He lifted his eyes toward the noise and watched in horror as an Imperial shuttle cleared the treetops and turned gracefully toward space, its ion engines roaring to life.

"Noooooooo!", he screamed after it in horror, as if somehow the word could reach out and halt the shuttle's progress. Utterly refusing to accept this outcome, he raised his lightsaber and released another scream of defiance to the reality of what he was seeing.

But the image of the shuttle quickly dwindled into a bright dot shooting across the sky, unmindful of the devastated Jedi left in its wake. And his scream faded unanswered into the morning mist, leaving Obi-Wan alone in the now littered clearing. With nothing left to confront, his physical efforts to prevent this tragedy quickly began taking their toll even as the failure of those efforts impacted him emotionally.

_'How, how could this be! How did they find him?'_ his shocked mind demanded as his exhausted body collapsed him to his hands and knees. Realizing his desperate need to catch his breath and gather his wits, he concentrated briefly to run through a calming exercise. Slowly, with his heart rate and breathing returning to normal and some strength returning to his shaking limbs, his thoughts turned to a more rational assessment of the situation.

Out of the corner of his eye he could now see the charred remains of two human adults by the side entrance to the burning house. He didn't doubt they were Eyvind and Jarrel Schill, the boy's new guardians. They had probably made what little stand they could there, succeeding in killing at least two of the stormtroopers. Briefly he entertained the thought that they might also have succeeded somehow in hiding the boy, or perhaps the boy had perished with them. But no, he knew that was not the case. He knew the boy was now with his father on that shuttle.

He twisted slightly to sit on the damp ground and groaned as he buried his face in his hands. Luke, the last hope for the galaxy, the one for whom so much been had sacrificed to save, was now in the hands of the Empire. Obi-Wan was left to face the consequences of this, his latest failure. He shuddered involuntarily as he considered just how grave those consequences would be.

**Chapter 1 – A Young Sith**

14 years later

Darth Arkus watched impatiently as yet another surge of pain jolted the pathetic woman before him. He already knew from his Force mind probe of her that she knew nothing of value. There had been no intent to deceive there, no summoning of willpower to resist the drugs being pumped into her, only confusion and terror. She was truly just an aide for the local politician that lay dead in the ruined office beyond. Their best lead had died with that man. Still, the Imperial officer leading the interrogation continued torturing the woman's wrecked body, unwilling to accept Arkus' appraisal of the situation.

Arkus swore under his breath. Tarkin would not be pleased at all - not that Arkus really cared what Tarkin thought. After all, it was a security blunder at Tarkin's own facility that had allowed the Death Star plans to be stolen in the first place. Worse still, it had been weeks before the theft was discovered. Those weeks had allowed the traitor time to contact the Rebellion and setup an exchange on Darkknell. Imperial Intelligence hadn't arrived in time to stop the exchange or catch the Rebel operative who had taken the plans.

The traitor had not been so lucky. He had barely been recognizable as human by the time the Intelligence officers had finished taking out their frustrations on him. Perhaps his final demise might have been a bit more pleasant had he been able to give any solid leads on the Rebel operative. Unfortunately for all involved, only a sketchy description of the Rebel had been obtained.

The Emperor had been deeply disturbed by the level of incompetence demonstrated by both the Desparye security officials and his own Imperial Intelligence agency. Several of the offenders had already paid with their lives, including the Director of Imperial Intelligence, himself. Eager for a chance to redeem himself, Tarkin had asked for matters to be turned over to him with a promise to not only retrieve the stolen plans but to also track down the Rebel cell seeking them.

The Emperor had agreed, but was reluctant to let Tarkin run such a critical operation unsupervised. He wanted an agent of his own reporting back independently. Darth Vader had already been sent to Desparye to reassert security protocols there, so the Emperor had taken the opportunity to introduce Darth Arkus.

The introduction had surprised Arkus almost as much as Tarkin. Until then, Arkus had been the Emperor's little secret. Only Darth Vader and a small circle of priests had been privy to his existence as a Sith. Even on the short "training expeditions" Arkus was allowed with his father, he had been forced to remain in the shadows, seeing everything but affecting little. On the rare occasions he had dared to complain about this, the Emperor had called for patience, explaining that he was not yet ready.

Arkus would probably never know what had changed the Emperor's mind, but that one moment would surely live on as the greatest in his life for some time to come. He could still remember the startled look on Tarkin's face when he had stepped into the field of view of the holocamera to stand at his master's right. That he had been introduced as a "junior" apprentice had hardly marred the glorious pride he had felt.

Tarkin was, of course, far too controlled to be startled for long. His surprise had quickly faded to curiosity and then resentment. He'd had little choice other than to accept the Emperor's terms without complaint, but had later made his feelings perfectly clear to Arkus. Tarkin would allow him to observe his men and report whatever he wished, but he would not have some uncultivated Sith amateur interfering with operations.

Arkus had held his tongue, mindful of the high regard with which both the Emperor and Darth Vader held this man. He had taken much worse abuse from others that had since reconsidered their disrespect. Tarkin's time would come.

Nearly a standard month had passed since that little chat. During that time Arkus had kept his focus on picking up the cold trail of the Rebel operative. Despite what Tarkin thought, Arkus knew the Emperor had intended for him to take charge of the investigation. Only a Sith could turn such feeble leads into real intelligence, and he had done just that. However, acting on that intelligence had been left to Tarkin's men. It was the failure of those actions that had brought them to this impasse.

First, they had bungled the raid on the rendezvous between the Rebels. The original operative had managed to escape once again with the Death Star plans. Arkus' interrogation of the second man had given them the Balitarian Governor's name complete with meeting plans, code phrases, and commlink frequencies. The Force had been nudging him to follow this trail, so he had left the pursuit of the first Rebel to one group of Tarkin's men while he accompanied Major Horick with a second group here to Amstick, the capital of Balitar.

Then Tarkin's idiots had somehow managed to tip their hand right before their assault on the Governor's mansion. The Governor had destroyed all evidence in his office, literally melting computers and datacards with blaster fire, and then had had the poor grace to kill himself.

That had left only the Governor's secretary to face Horick's wrath. Her once pristine station in the office's small foyer had quickly been turned into her private hell. Horick had begun by shouting at her and smacking her face and had quickly proceeded to the interrogation droid. She was now crudely restrained in one of the two lounge chairs located along the wall across from her desk, frantically trying to satisfy Horick.

"I already told you," she sobbed with a voice long since hoarse from screaming. "The courier came here maybe every other week. The Governor used him as an informant to keep appraised of the militia groups' activities. He did this to control them, not help them."

"Then why was he receiving stolen Imperial data? Who is his Rebel contact!"

"I don't know anything about stolen data. Please believe me!" she cried desperately. "The Governor never told me about any Rebels!"

Unsatisfied with the answer, Horick sent another electrical shock through the woman. This one was strong enough to cause constricting muscles to snap yet another bone somewhere in her body. Arkus snorted audibly to convey his disgust. There was nothing to be gained here. This was simply wasting his time.

He turned to the datapad and neat stack of datacards on the woman's desk. She seemed the sort to keep a personal copy of her boss's schedule handy. Perhaps it was a bit much to expect that the next link to the Rebels would appear so boldly, but one never knew. Besides, reviewing the schedule would give him something to do.

He had just inserted the correct datacard when a ripple in the Force accompanied by a commotion in the hall distracted him. Arkus stepped behind the side of the desk just as the foyer doors were flung open. A young woman in white was shoved rather unceremoniously into the center of the room and was quickly followed by a pair of stormtroopers.

Horick spun around sharply to confront the stormtroopers. "What is the meaning of this interruption!" he demanded.

"Sir, this woman and her entourage were caught trying to use a hidden entrance to the mansion grounds. When she was questioned, she demanded to see the Governor."

The woman used the moment of the exchange to regain her composure and brought her best regal pose to bear on Horick. "This is ridiculous! I am a member of the Imperial Senate here on official business with Governor Termain. I object to being treated like some sort of criminal!"

Having temporarily stunned Horick with her bold initiative and haughty tone, she released him from her glare just long enough to quickly scan the room. When she locked eyes with him again her demeanor changed from offended royalty to commanding authority. "I demand to know what is going on here!"

Arkus remained quietly in his position off to her left. She hadn't really noticed him, he knew. This had been due to both the natural human tendency to focus on matters of immediate relevance and to a subtle Force suggestion he had given her that there was nothing of interest in his direction. He wanted time to evaluate this woman who had caused the Force ripple before revealing his presence.

He studied her intently now. She was quite young, certainly no older than he was, though her poise suggested wisdom and experience far surpassing her years. She possessed an understated beauty accentuated by deep brown eyes and a flawless complexion. Her long, dark hair was styled conservatively in circular braids about her ears. The loose fitting, formal gown she wore covered her completely from neck to toe and left the shape of her body to the imagination. She was hardly the most beautiful woman Arkus had ever seen, but he found he couldn't take his eyes off of her. Her presence in the Force sang to him like the sirens of myth, captivating his soul.

He carefully gauged her reaction to the state of affairs in the foyer. She hadn't even flinched at the imploring gaze of the obviously tortured woman. Instead, she had appeared to take her in with the same cold assessment given to the broken lamp and displaced furniture. Even her sense in the Force had barely registered the shocked horror she had truly felt, and Arkus was forced to strain to pick up on the barest hint of fear emerging in her mind. That she had that much control over her emotions was most impressive. Horick was no match for her.

"I will ask the questions here," Horick snapped back at her in an attempt to regain control. "Who are you, and what is your business with the Governor?"

She seemed to draw back a little, as though grievously insulted by Horick's tone and inability to recognize her. "I am Senator Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan, assistant chairperson of the Senate Oversight Committee for Planetary Aid. I am here at the request of Senator Furdosia to personally survey the deteriorating Balitarian social conditions. Governor Termain graciously invited me to dine with him here in his mansion during my visit. We were to discuss how he intended to utilize my committee's financial aid to revive Balitar's economy." She narrowed her eyes accusingly. "I take it the dinner has been postponed?"

Arkus quickly checked the Governor's schedule and was able to confirm that the Princess was indeed expected to arrive at this time for a private dinner with the Governor. The secretary had entered various notes concerning the dinner, including everything from a list of reports to be compiled for reference material down to the Princess's food and beverage preferences.

"Cancelled, actually," Horick replied meaningfully. "If you were here for legitimate business, why were you using a concealed entrance?"

"I was using the Governor's private entrance," she countered. "He provided my security detail with the access code when my schedule was finalized last week. Apparently there has been a lot of political unrest here since the Imperial military assumed control of Balitar's mining operations and ruined these people's lives." She paused to inspect Horick's uniform as if holding him personally responsible for the repercussions of the military's actions. "The Governor was concerned for my safety."

"Then why didn't you cooperate with the stormtroopers questioning you?"

"I assumed they were responding to some threat from the local militia groups. They had no cause to detain me," she scoffed.

Arkus couldn't help but smile to himself. The Princess was managing Horick quite handily, but the major was not one to admit defeat easily. He had better intervene before Horick did something rash.

"Please excuse the Major's behavior, Your Highness," he began smoothly as he set the datapad down and stepped away from the desk. "The Imperial military academies do such a poor job of instructing our officers on matters of etiquette."

Leia turned quickly toward the mechanically modulated voice addressing her from an unexpected direction, carefully forming her expression to communicate only mild surprise. She had the situation well under control and was not about to let this new adversary fluster her. But when her eyes fell upon the speaker, she was unable to completely contain her reaction. Slightly widening eyes and a quick intake of breath betrayed her startled dismay.

The sinister black metallic mask he wore instantly conjured up the image of Darth Vader in her mind. But no, she reasoned, this man was much shorter and lacked the assisted breathing apparatus that gave Vader his distinctive presence. Also, the mask he wore was less angular than Vader's around the cheeks and mouth, was formed closer to his skull, and lacked the helmet-like flair around the back. Even so, the similarity was enough to send chills down her spine.

Needing a moment to steady her resolve, Leia let her eyes drift over the rest of him. He was dressed primarily in black, textured nerf-hide thick enough to give him the appearance of a lightly armored warrior, complete with heavy gloves and calf length boots. The nerf-hide rose up on his neck to meet the metallic mask so that not an inch of his flesh was visible. Over the nerf-hide he wore a black satin, blouse-like garment that flowed into a floor length cape behind his back and disappeared into a thick belt around his waist. The shining cylinder hanging from the belt at his left hip was undeniably a lightsaber. She suppressed a shudder as the implications of that weapon's presence registered in her thoughts.

Arkus reveled in her attention to him. It pleased him deeply that she was unable to disguise both her initial shock at his appearance and her subsequent alarm when she realized he was a Sith. He knew her continued inspection of him was just a stall for time to regain her emotional footing, but he allowed her this time rather than take advantage of her momentary imbalance. He wanted her at her best before they continued. This was going to be fun.

Barely a few seconds had passed when she raised her eyes to those of his mask again, her emotions resettled, her nerves steeled. "And you are?" she questioned calmly.

"I am Darth Arkus, the Emperor's personal emissary." He gave a slight bow with the introduction.

"Then you can explain what is going on here and why I have been so rudely treated."

It was not a question she asked, he noted, but a command she expected to be obeyed. Arkus smiled to himself. He would play her game and beat her at it.

"Of course, Your Highness," he agreed. "Let me first apologize for the manner in which you were greeted and conducted here. The mansion has recently been placed under a security lockdown. We have not had time to review the Governor's schedule and did not anticipate your arrival," he explained apologetically. "As you pointed out, these are dangerous times on Balitar, and stormtroopers do have a reputation for being overly cautious."

The Princess gave no indication of accepting his apology, but bid him to continue with a slight shift in her attitude.

"Our business here concerns the assassination of Senator Bel Iblis, a close associate of your father's, I believe." He waited until he received a nod of acknowledgment from her.

"The investigation has shown that the terrorists responsible were from a Balitarian militia group. It's absurd, I know," he conceded to her upraised eyebrow. "They must have linked up with a Rebel cell and received direction and financing from them. We were hoping to enlist Governor Termain's assistance in locating the individuals involved for questioning, but…" he paused to gesture toward the main office. "Apparently the Governor had a guilty conscience. Additional details are classified, of course."

"There will be a full report to the Senate when your investigation is concluded," she demanded more than questioned again, though the retort lacked some of her previously acidic tone.

"Naturally, Your Highness. I will see that you receive a personal copy in advance if you like. In the mean time, I trust you will not reveal what you have discovered here. It might interfere with our continuing investigation."

There was little the Princess could object to now. Only the tortured secretary was left unexplained. Arkus would wait until she breached that subject. He knew she would. She had been far too affected by the secretary's condition to not attempt to give her some aid.

Leia realized she had played her hand as far as she could safely take it. She knew the story the Sith had spun concerning the assassination of Bel Iblis was a complete fabrication. Bel Iblis wasn't killed by Rebels but by the Empire because of his Rebel sympathies. By pointing out her father's association with him, Arkus had subtly implied she was suspected of harboring such sympathies as well. Any objection to his story would only confirm it.

Furthermore, he had accurately described the Balitarian leg in the planned journey of the stolen Death Star plans to her Rebel cell. Clearly he suspected her of being the next link, but lacked sufficient evidence to accuse her outright. He was being clever, hoping to rattle her enough to make a mistake. She should try to take her leave quickly, before he ended the game and turned that interrogation droid on her.

With that thought Leia's eyes flickered back toward the secretary. 'What was her name again? Valnarie?' Leia thought. She had only spoken to her once, briefly, concerning the details of the dinner. She was completely innocent in all of this - could tell them nothing of value, Leia was sure. The Sith probably knew this as well, or he would have been right there over her with the other two Imperials. Still, they had battered her face and subjected her to the terrors of that droid. Leia couldn't just leave this poor woman to these barbarians.

She tore her eyes from Valnarie and summoned the courage to confront the dark lord once more. "Is this the manner in which you plan to continue your investigation?"

"Ah, yes. Interrogations of Rebel terrorists do tend to get a bit grisly, especially when another attack on innocents is known to be imminent and they refuse to cooperate. I deeply regret that you have been forced to witness it. Perhaps you should return to your lodging?"

And with that Arkus had neatly disarmed her. His message to her was delivered and received, he knew. It was now time for her to go before something was said or done to require her permanent detention.

Leia couldn't believe her ears. Was Arkus really offering her a way out? What was the catch? How far would he let her go?

"I believe I have seen enough of Balitar's state of affairs. I will be leaving immediately," she stated with a conviction she couldn't quite bring herself to feel.

'Good,' Arkus thought. 'She knows when to cut her losses.'

"Of course," he said, "I understand. You would like to place this unpleasantness behind you." Arkus turned to address the junior Imperial officer present. "Lieutenant Taper, inform the Balitar Spaceport Authority to ready the Princess's shuttle at once, and arrange for her to be properly escorted to her ship."

The lieutenant did not jump to immediately execute the orders he had been given. Instead he looked to the major, seeking confirmation.

Arkus seethed at his hesitation. The Princess had seen it too and would try to take to advantage of it. Horick had had the good sense to remain quiet up to this point. If he tried to interfere now, Arkus swore he would rip out his throat and feed it to Tarkin for breakfast.

He restrained himself from simply torquing the Major's mind into submission. The Princess was watching and was certainly observant enough to pick up on any coercion. He would have to let this play out.

Horick was aware that all eyes were now on him. He had no idea what Darth Arkus was up to. His intrusion into the questioning of the Princess had been most unwelcome, and Horick certainly didn't like the idea of just letting her go. Governor Tarkin had warned him not to let Arkus interfere with operations. But though Horick was certain he had the authority to overrule Arkus, he dreaded the prospect of directly opposing a Sith. Junior apprentice or not, he had heard rumors of Lord Vader's wrath and had no desire to discover if this one had a similar temper.

Leia noted the curious hesitation of both the lieutenant and the major. This was not how she would expect Imperial officers to react to a Sith lord. She turned her attention back to Arkus, eager to take advantage of this breakdown in command. "A military escort will not be necessary."

"Oh, but I insist, Your Highness," Arkus replied quickly, "for your safety. The Balitarian terrorists seem to have an affinity for prominent government figures. Your presence here may present too tempting an opportunity for them. In fact, we should see you safely returned to Coruscant."

Arkus started to address the lieutenant again, but stopped and looked back toward her, as if realizing he had just made an assumption. "You are returning Coruscant?" he asked, then added helpfully " …to deliver your report to Senator Furdosia?"

Leia warily nodded her agreement. 'So this was it, then,' she thought. Coruscant was not in fact her intended destination, but the implications of Arkus' words were not lost on her. She was effectively being placed under house arrest on Coruscant until things could be sorted out here. Any attempt to go elsewhere would only cast additional suspicions on her and anyone she met. They would be watching her very closely.

"Very good." Arkus turned to Taper. "Lieutenant, you will also contact the Cruiser Agitator and instruct them to rendezvous with the Princess's ship in system. They are to provide escort until the Princess has safely reached her landing platform on Coruscant."

The lieutenant sought confirmation again, but this time Horick did not hesitate. The distinct pressure he had felt on his throat the moment the Princess's attention was returned to Arkus had made up his mind. "You have your orders, Lieutenant," he stated firmly.

Leia waited until the lieutenant left the room to see to his duties. She knew she was not going to get out of this, but she had to maintain appearances.

"This is completely unnecessary. My security team is quite capable of handling any threat," she protested to Arkus one final time.

"Then accept our escort as a courtesy. It really is the least we can do after the way you have been treated here," he graciously offered. "Our task group is just on the system's edge, so the cruiser should be in position for departure before you reach your ship. There should be no delay for you."

"I thank you for your consideration." She gave a curt nod. "I look forward to reading your report."

"Of course, Your Highness." Arkus returned her nod then gestured toward the foyer's entrance, indicating she was free to go.

Leia turned to depart and briefly confronted the two stormtroopers who had originally escorted her into the room still positioned by the doors. Without a word they parted to allow her to pass and then fell into step behind her as she left the room.

Arkus watched the Princess leave, still exhilarated by their almost subliminal communication between the words that had been spoken. She was a worthy opponent, one he would personally track. Her only weakness had been her feelings for the secretary. She had been deeply disturbed to abandon her here, knowing the interrogation would likely continue until her death.

Arkus turned his attention to the secretary now. She was cowering in the chair, fearful that the brief respite the Princess's arrival had afforded her was about to end. He mentally moaned at the thought of sitting through more of her screaming. He was anxious to report back to the Emperor, and did not wish to be delayed by such wearisome matters.

Reaching out with Force, Arkus located a large artery in her brain and neatly rent it open. The secretary's head twitched slightly in response, then lolled to the side as she drifted quickly into death. There, it was ended.

Horick, now the only other occupant of the room, noticed the result of Arkus' action. He had indeed been fortunate that the Princess had spoken up before he had countermanded Arkus' order to release her. He may face reprisals from Tarkin, but he would live.

Arkus took satisfaction in Horick's discomfort. He was certain now that Horick would not question him, but he would whine to Tarkin at the first opportunity. Well, let him whine. He did not need to explain his actions to Horick or Tarkin.

"Inform the rest of the task group to establish orbit and prepare my ship as soon as the Princess enters hyperspace. I will be returning to Coruscant. You are free to continue your investigation here as you see fit." Arkus turned to leave but looked back briefly to add, "And major. Never question my authority again." He did not wait for a reply.

Leia finally allowed herself to relax a bit once she was in her private quarters on her ship. She hadn't realized how smothered she had felt by Arkus' presence until she had left the mansion. It was as if a dark cloud had passed over her, warning of a coming storm. He would be watching her, she knew.

Well, Arkus couldn't object to her sending a message to her father to inform him of her change in schedule. She would word it carefully and send it out with her usual diplomatic encryption only. The Imperials would think it was only a friendly note, but her father would know she was under suspicion and the Death Star plans were missing in action. He would pick up the pieces from his end.


	2. Chap 2 The Emperor's Experiment

Chapter 2 – The Emperor's Experiment

Arkus waited patiently by the secret entrance to the Emperor's throne room as the minutes passed quietly by. That he kept Arkus waiting this long meant he was displeased. It was obvious that Tarkin had already complained about events on Balitar, but Arkus was not concerned. His master always heard him out, and he was confident the Emperor would agree with his appraisal of the situation once it was explained.

~You may enter.~ The words pushed their way forcefully into Arkus' mind. He noted the usual "my young apprentice" endearment the Emperor used for him was conspicuously missing. Yes, the Emperor was most displeased with him. Arkus took a breath and prepared to face his master.

The secret door opened into the throne room from behind the Emperor's chair. Usually the Emperor turned the chair to greet Arkus at the entrance but not this time. Arkus hesitated briefly, confused by this additional slight, then strode confidently around the raised dais to kneel before the Emperor. He kept his head respectfully lowered and waited to be addressed. He was getting no sense of his master's thoughts. He had been shut out completely.

"You allowed a suspected Rebel to leave Balitar without questioning," the Emperor stated after a time.

"Yes, My Master," Arkus acknowledged. He kept his head lowered but offered nothing else that could be interpreted as an apology. He deeply respected his master, but it had been a long time since he had cowered before him. The Emperor was always fair to him. If he received punishment, it was deserved and in proportion to the offense – no more, no less. Pain simply served to ensure he would learn from his mistakes and not repeat them. If the pain ended in death, well, his life was the Emperor's to take. There was nothing to fear.

"Governor Tarkin has taken issue with your decision."

"I anticipated that, My Master." 

"So you deliberately acted against his wishes?"

"I do not answer to Governor Tarkin or his men, only to you, My Master." Arkus worked to smooth the edge of his contempt for Tarkin. It was one thing for the Emperor to know he despised one of his favorite servants, quite another to express it openly.

"Then you will answer to me now. What transpired on Balitar?"

Arkus raised his eyes at that summons. He would have one opportunity to convince the Emperor that his actions had been proper. He would make the most of it.

"Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan is undoubtedly the contact for a central Rebel cell; however, there is no evidence to support this. Her presence on Balitar and planned rendezvous with the traitor Termain were thoroughly covered by legitimate business. As a prominent member of the Senate, her detention would have generated additional sympathy for the Rebels, and nothing would have been gained from interrogating her. Her control is too strong to be susceptible to mind probes, and pain would only strengthen her resolve.

"Allowing her to leave has convinced her she is only suspected. She will be used by the Rebel leadership again when they have need of her. Alive and free she will lead us to the Death Star plans, her Rebel cell and the Rebel organizers."

The Emperor watched Arkus passively as he concluded his explanation, his cold eyes giving no indication of having been convinced. "The reaction of the Senate is of little concern to me. I want these Rebels crushed. If your interrogation would have been useless you should have brought her to me."

"I felt her strength through the Force, My Master. Her mind would have collapsed before she revealed anything." 

"You believe she is a Force adept?" the Emperor asked, his surprise and sudden interest evident in his tone. 

Arkus paused to contemplate this possibility and worded his response carefully. "Perhaps, My Master. I believe it more likely that she simply has a strong will and training to resist interrogation. If she is Force sensitive, she has no training in its use. She is not a threat to you." 

'Why did I say *that*?' Arkus thought, carefully shielding from the Emperor his surprise at the conviction in his own last statement. He honestly hadn't considered the possibility the Princess might have Force talent. He didn't think it likely, but if she did … 'No,' he interrupted his own train of thought. 'She is nothing more than a clever spy with unusual strength of character.' 

The Emperor relaxed again, seemingly convinced by the confidence of Arkus' spoken conclusion. "So you had her brought back to Coruscant. Surely she knows she is under surveillance. What makes you think the Rebels will risk using her again?"

The words brought Arkus' attention back to the Emperor. "They are desperate to get the Death Star plans, My Master. Once the power of the station is known their support will fade quickly. They must find a way to convince their followers they can stand against it, or the Rebellion will die. Viceroy Bail Organa has already personally arrived to conspire with the Princess." 

"The Rebels believe they still have a chance to intercept the Death Star plans?" Again there was surprise in the Emperor's voice.

"Tarkin's men have only been able to disrupt the Rebel operative's plans, not eliminate them. The Rebels are convinced they still have a chance because they likely do."

"And you wish to keep the Princess under your personal observation."

Arkus flushed at the Emperor's perception of his desire. There was little he could hide from him. "I believe my abilities are well suited for this, if My Master wishes."

The Emperor gazed down at him for a time, considering his request. "You have done well, my young apprentice. Go pursue your quarry." 

Arkus flushed again as the Emperor allowed his approval to be felt. He bowed his head quickly to express his gratitude, then stood and left the throne room.

The Emperor smiled to himself as his youngest apprentice left the room. The boy was maturing nicely. Not the slightest hint remained of the trembling toddler that Vader had first brought before him so many years ago. 

That day had presented quite the quandary. The Emperor's first instinct had been to simply kill the boy. The persistent feelings Vader had had for Amidala had been transferred to their son. The child would forever be a weakness for Vader and, therefore, a threat that could easily transfer to him. But the boy had inherited Vader's power – a power that was far too great to be carelessly destroyed. The Emperor had needed time to consider his fate. 

One thing had been immediately certain. Vader and the child had to be separated before any bond could form between them because together they would eventually be powerful enough to usurp him. So he had ordered Darth Vader on an extended assignment far from Coruscant and had turned the boy over to his priests for safekeeping. The Emperor had then looked to the ancient Sith teachings to seek a solution to his dilemma.

"Never can there be more than two Sith's," Lord Darth Bane's teachings decreed, "a master and an apprentice. Any more will bring competing ambitions and ruin." 

The Emperor had never doubted the wisdom of this philosophy, but he had already violated it on some level when he had established the priests. There had simply been too many details involved in bringing down and establishing control of the Old Republic for just himself and an apprentice to manage. The priests had been trained to handle the more mundane tasks of undermining individual Republic officials and performing political espionage. They were Force adepts, to be sure, but far too weak to be a threat to him even if they did conspire to unite their power. Taking on a second apprentice of Skywalker's caliber was another matter entirely. 

Nearly a year of delving deeper into the ancient Sith texts had passed before he had finally found a passage that offered a possibility. The entry had suggested it was possible to displace the consciousness of a being and insert one's own in its place, effectively changing bodies. It had promised immortality provided the new host had a sufficient midi-chlorian presence to support continued use of the Force. The Emperor had known his body would soon begin to fail with age and continued use of the dark powers. If he could take the child's body he would extend his reign by at least one lifetime.

Eager to test the possibility, the Emperor had summoned the boy before him. The child had obviously deteriorated both physically and emotionally from his stay with the priests. Cassius, his most powerful and cruel priest, had personally taken charge of him and had apparently used him as an outlet for his envious hatred of Lord Vader. Worn down by this abuse, the child had simply cowered and cried softly under the Emperor's initial mind probe and had offered nothing in the way of resistance. 

But hidden somewhere in the deep recesses of the boy's mind the Emperor had run against a wall of incredible strength. Realizing the boy had retreated behind it, the Emperor had raged against it with all his power. The effort had been futile. Obi-Wan had obviously helped the boy construct the wall, and supported by all of his subconscious Force strength, it had proven impenetrable to any frontal assault. Exasperated, the Emperor had returned the boy to Cassius, hoping continued abuse would eventually weaken the boy's defenses. 

Two additional years had passed before the boy had finally snapped, but it had not been in the manner the Emperor had expected. Instead of succumbing to feelings of hopelessness, the boy had suddenly ignited an inferno of calculating hatred deep in his soul. This new turn of events had ensured the boy would never be susceptible to the Emperor's occupation of his body, but it had opened new avenues for his future.

The Emperor had then begun to consider training the boy as a Sith, eventually. He still could not have risked having two Skywalkers as apprentices, and the boy had still been too young to take his father's place. In the interim, the priests were ordered to begin an intense instruction of the boy, focusing his education on traditional matters of history, government, science, etc and limiting Force training to basic parlor tricks. 

Young Skywalker had still been kept locked in the bowels of the Imperial Palace but had then been allowed access to computer terminals, instructional facilities and overall better living conditions. The Emperor had scheduled regular visits with the boy to assess his progress and to establish himself as a caring master. He had been careful to always keep the boy's hatred directed at Cassius and to inspire only feelings of trust and respect toward himself.

The change in the boy's regime had quickly resulted in the desired effect. Desperate for a sense of approval from some source, the boy had fervently attached his loyalty to the Emperor and had focused every ounce of his abilities on pleasing him. So firmly established was the boy's devotion that the Emperor had decided to test it against Darth Vader's fatherly compassion. 

He had arranged for Vader to return to Coruscant and had allowed him to become acquainted with the boy. Vader had been enraged to learn of his son's suffering under Cassius but had been placated by the current attention being devoted to his training. For his part, the boy had been highly suspicious of this so-called father that had reappeared after five years to suddenly become his advocate. He had sensed Vader's desire to take him from his cherished master and had met each of his continued attempts to establish a rapport with cold detachment.

The Emperor had always known of Vader's desire to use his son to establish his own claim to the Imperial throne. He had welcomed the boy's reluctance to trust Vader as a sign that it would never come to be. Still, the Emperor had needed to be sure the boy's loyalty would not change before he began his formal Sith training. 

As a test, the Emperor waited until the boy had received a rather brutal whipping from Cassius for some minor indiscretion and had allowed him to be secretly present when Darth Vader had raised protest over the incident. The Emperor had let Vader rant openly then dismissed him with a promise to look into the matter. After Vader had left, the Emperor had called the boy out from the shadows and had asked him what he thought about what he had just seen. 

"He is weak, Master. He lets his emotions override his judgement," the boy had replied. 

"It would be a mistake to consider Darth Vader weak, child. His only fault is his compassion for you. You will be his undoing."

The boy had looked curiously back at the Emperor at the prediction. His thoughts had reflected no understanding of compassion, no comprehension of why Darth Vader would care about a punishment that he himself had not complained about, and certainly no respect for a man that would risk his station over such pathetic emotions. This reaction had convinced the Emperor that it would be safe to train the boy when the time came. 

Young Skywalker had been twelve when Cassius had finally worn out the boy's acceptance of his arbitrary mistreatment. The confrontation had involved a starfighter design the boy had been secretly working on for years. Cassius had discovered it and was about to destroy his work. Pushed at last beyond his limits, the boy's temper had exploded violently in rebellion. The Emperor had felt the powerful surge in the Force and had hurried to the source only to find Cassius nearly gutted by way of his mouth. The boy had been standing over the grotesque mess still trembling from his rage. 

Why the boy had chosen such graphic means to kill Cassius had been a mystery to the Emperor, but it had pleased him deeply. The profound gratification the boy had felt from indulging his anger and his utter lack of remorse indicated he was openly receptive to the dark powers. It had been that day the Emperor had given the boy the name Darth Arkus – a term from the ancient Sith language that loosely translated as "the promised future" – and had elevated him to Sith apprentice.

Six years had passed since then. Arkus had eagerly dedicated himself to the Sith teachings during that time and now displayed a level of control and calculating patience that indicated his training was nearly complete. This first assignment of his to track down the Rebels had been a test for him. The Emperor had specifically chosen it because Tarkin was involved. He had known Tarkin would deny the boy any respect. To ensure it, he had deliberately introduced Arkus in a diminutive manner. He wanted the boy to earn his own respect among the Imperial military leadership, not to have it given to him by virtue of his status as a Sith. 

And Arkus had risen up to the challenge. He had patiently operated under Tarkin's rules, accepting the degradations imposed on him, until circumstances had dictated the need for him to take control. Then he had not hesitated to assert his authority. Nor had he concerned himself with how inferiors would perceive his actions. He had simply done what he had believed necessary then had come before his master for judgement. The Emperor could not have asked for a better performance.

He now knew his plan for young Skywalker would quickly come to fruition. Arkus would soon grow fully into his powers, and then he would take his father's place. After Arkus was firmly established as the Emperor's second, he would have him father a child. Palpatine would take the infants body before its mind was fully developed ensuring that no barriers to his occupation would exist. 

It would be necessary to give control of the Empire to Arkus for a handful of years until his new body matured enough for him to re-exert control, but that would be a small price to pay to have Skywalker blood fueling his dark powers. And the Emperor knew he could count on Arkus' continued devotion to him. Unlike his father, he had no ambitions for power, and he had no interest in following his father's ambitions. He wished only to serve his master.

The Emperor's experiment with the boy was turning out to be a spectacular success. His separate experiment with a girl he was molding into a suitable mother was showing similar promise. Palpatine cackled maniacally to himself as he contemplated his promised future of immortality.


	3. Chap 3 Proposal

Chapter 3 – Proposal

Darth Arkus lurked quietly in the shadows of a Senate building hallway near the offices for the Alderaanian delegation. The Senate's current session would be dismissing shortly, and he was planning to catch Princess Leia as she departed. 

He had spent the last two days compiling convenient facts, altering the records of those not so convenient, and fabricating evidence all to support his report on the supposed investigation of the assassination of Senator Bel Iblis. The princess would of course know it was all a lie, but it would stand up to any scrutiny the Senate could bring to bear on it. He would show her that he could play this game of subterfuge as well as she. Besides, delivering the promised report gave him an excuse to speak with her in a more private setting.

He had been anticipating this opportunity ever since the Emperor had granted him permission to track her. She had been present in his thoughts almost to the exclusion of everything else, but he had controlled his urge to approach her until everything was in place. Today her father would be returning to Alderaan, undoubtedly to report back to the rest of the Rebel leadership what she had told him concerning the events on Balitar. He would be leaving her with instructions regarding her next traitorous assignment. Arkus would have her considering an alternative future while she waited for her contact.

Arkus didn't have to wait for long, his impeccable timing having served him well. The princess and her father were approaching their offices from the direction of the Senate chamber, led and followed at a respectful distance by two pairs of diplomatic corp guards. Arkus drifted further into the shadow of a decorative sculpture and drew the Force around him like a cloak. After the first pair of guards passed unaware, he quickly stepped out directly into the path of the princess, almost causing her to collide with him.

"Excuse me, Your Highness. Could I have a moment of your time?" Arkus managed to ask before chaos struck the group.

Leia jerked to a startled halt and let out a soft yelp of alarm at his sudden appearance. Viceroy Organa clutched his daughter's shoulders and drew her to the side, toward him and out of the line of fire from the guards. The guards in front quickly spun around but found themselves unable to draw their blasters. The guards in the rear felt themselves similarly held in place, unable to confront their unknown attacker.

"A little tense, Your Highness? Surely you don't question Imperial security here in the heart of the Senate building?" Arkus kept his tone even with just a hint of amusement creeping in. He really hadn't intended to startle her so, just to quietly get her attention; yet he was pleased with the result. He enjoyed seeing her unsettled from her practiced poise, and he had reacted quickly enough to prevent the over-zealous guards from drawing any unwanted attention to them. 

Leia took in a slow breath to calm her rattled nerves and managed a dignified glare for Arkus. She had the distinct feeling he was smiling at her under that mask, and she had no intention of giving him any more satisfaction than he was already feeling. The seemingly childish prank he had just pulled left her at a loss for understanding his intentions. She needed to regain her composure quickly to prepare for whatever he had planned.

"Forgive me, Darth Arkus. I was engrossed in conversation with my father and failed to notice your approach. You startled me somewhat," she allowed him.

The guards relaxed slightly at her recognition of Arkus and were rewarded by being released from his Force grip. But Viceroy Organa showed no sign of relaxing. To the contrary, he tightened his hold on his daughter and drew her even closer to him.

Leia responded to her father's tightening embrace by performing introductions. "Father, I don't believe you have had the opportunity to meet Darth Arkus, an emissary for the Emperor. Darth Arkus, this my father, Viceroy Bail Organa of Alderaan."

"A pleasure, Viceroy," Arkus offered with a barely perceptible nod of his head. He had little interest in Organa, but offered his greeting out of courtesy for the princess's sake.

Viceroy Organa replied only by narrowing his eyes and raising his chin slightly. Leia had told him of this Sith and his talent for hidden communications. But he hardly needed that knowledge or his diplomatic experience to recognize the dismissal in Arkus' greeting. It was clear the Sith was interested in Leia only, and that interest made him instantly suspicious.

Arkus could feel mistrust and loathing roiling off of the Viceroy. He responded by projecting a cloud of cold antipathy into Organa's mind, using the Force to communicate what the mask prevented him from demonstrating. Confident that this would serve as adequate warning and not wishing to waste any more time, he then looked abruptly to Leia. "As I was saying, Your Highness, I would like a moment of your time. We have a report to discuss."

Leia noted the instant and almost palpable animosity between the men. She had hoped the introduction would allow for a smooth beginning to this encounter, but it had had the opposite effect. Her father's reaction in particular had taken her off guard, and his inexplicable growing tension continued to confusion her. 

"I am occupied just at the moment. If you have a copy available I would be happy to review it at my earliest convenience," Leia offered politely to Arkus in an attempt to smooth over the situation. 

"There are matters we must discuss before I can release the report to you. I have a conference room reserved down the hall. It will only take a moment," Arkus pressed. 

"If you wish to meet with my daughter you may arrange to do so through the proper channels. She is under no obligation to indulge you under these circumstances," Viceroy Organa interjected pretentiously.

The forcefulness of Organa's reprimand surprised Arkus. He could feel that it stemmed from his growing concern for his daughter's safety rather than any desire to antagonize him. Still, it was only Arkus' respect for the princess that kept him from slamming Organa into the wall. 

"I would think you would show more gratitude to the man who saw your daughter safely escorted off Balitar," Arkus growled in reply. Then he added more civilly, "I assure you no harm will come to her in my presence. You have my word."

Organa held in his mental retort concerning the value of a Sith's word, mindful of the power the other likely possessed. But the thought was still communicated clearly through the skeptical glare that danced briefly across his face.

"It's okay, Father" Leia quickly inserted before matters deteriorated further. She was now convinced of the need to separate these two immediately, and somehow she knew she could trust Arkus to keep his word. "I can spare a moment to meet with you," she directed at Arkus.

Leia then worked her way free of her father's grip and turned to address him more personally. "I'll see you at the landing platform, Father. I'm sure this won't take long."

Bail Organa gazed worriedly into his daughter's eyes. He did not like the idea of leaving her with this Sith lord but recognized the futility of objecting further. If the Sith wanted her he could simply have her arrested here, and there would be nothing he could do to stop it. "Hurry, I'm scheduled to depart soon," was all he could say to her. 

"Captain Dersey," Organa addressed one of the guards, "take Begdin and escort my daughter. See that she is not unduly delayed."

Leia took her father's hands and squeezed them reassuringly. She managed a warm smile for his tired eyes before turning back to Arkus.

"This way, Your Highness," Arkus invited as he bowed his head and made a sweeping gesture back down the hallway, not sparing even a parting glance for Organa. 

Leia joined Arkus at his side, and they departed with the two guards following at a comfortable distance. The group walked in silence through the hallways of the Senate building until they reached a secluded conference room. Arkus stopped at the entrance to the room as the door slid open without having had the key code entered.

"After you, Your Highness," Arkus gestured into the room. 

Leia stopped and regarded him carefully. She had no idea what was to transpire in that room, and she was beginning to have some misgivings. Her instincts were telling her to turn and run, but something in the back of her mind was insisting that she should trust him. Leia took a deep breath and entered the room, uncertain of the wisdom of her decision. 

"You will wait out here," Arkus commanded the guards before entering the room and locking the door behind him.

An oblong table just large enough to seat perhaps eight dominated the interior of the small conference room. Leia stopped barely inside the door to stand next the chair at the head of table while Arkus walked past her, around the table to a small refreshment station located in the wall on the opposite side of the room.

"Please have a seat, Your Highness. May I offer you a refreshment? Some Gwenivelia white wine perhaps?" Arkus had retrieved a wine bottle and two glasses from the refreshment station and was holding them up for her inspection.

Leia was startled by the choice of refreshment offered. Gwenivelia was a small Alderaanian vineyard famous for its unique white wine. This particular vintage was very difficult to acquire off-world, and it just happened to be her favorite.

"I would prefer to conclude our business as quickly as possible," Leia responded, unwilling to be impressed by his hospitality. She remained standing. "Where is this report you wished to discuss?"

"Come, Your Highness. We can drop the pretenses here," Arkus rebuked her. "I have disabled all of the listening devices in the room. I assure you, we are quite alone."

Leia blinked in surprise. She hadn't expected Arkus to be so straightforward, and it set her on edge. She offered nothing by way of verbal reply. Instead she formed her expression into curious surprise and mild confusion, determined not to play into his hand by acknowledging that any pretenses were being projected on her part.

Arkus noted her reaction and realized she would need some coaxing before she dropped her façade. He set the two glasses on the table and proceeded to open the wine bottle. 

"I know you were Termain's Rebel contact just as you know I was there seeking the Death Star plans your Rebels have stolen," he said as he poured the wine. "I daresay I should have arrested you for treason."

Arkus paused as he used the Force to slide one glass down the table to her. "Do have some wine. I know it is your favorite. It would be a shame to waste it."

Leia watched the glass glide to a gentle halt just in front of her, but made no move to pick it up. Realizing the directness of Arkus' words could lead to no pleasant conclusion to this conversation, she wished only to end it quickly. Mentally bracing herself for the worst, she looked hard into Arkus' masked eyes and demanded, "What is it you wished to discuss?"

"So abrupt, Your Highness? One might question your upbringing." Arkus refused to allow the Princess to rile him. To communicate his easiness he sat down in a chair and casually propped his legs up on the table.

"I have no time for this." Leia stated harshly, intending to end his game and draw out his true intentions. 

"Very well," Arkus conceded. "I will be blunt if you insist. 

"The only reason I did not detain you on Balitar was because I recognized your potential," he began. "You could be so much more than a pawn for the pathetic leadership of the Rebel Alliance. Even if you are the organizer for your Rebel cell, as I suspect, you could accomplish much greater deeds if you joined me."

"You wish for me to be your consort?!" Leia was both shocked and horrified and could do nothing to disguise it. In addition to the instant revulsion such an offer brought forth in her simply on principle, she could not begin to imagine what horrors were hidden behind that mask. The demons in that mind were not something she wished to even contemplate.

"Hardly," Arkus snorted, amused and somewhat offended by her reaction. "I would never reduce you to such a demeaning station." As beautiful as she was, his interest in her did not lie along that path.

"The command structure of the Empire will not always be as it is now," he continued. "While I may not be its sovereign, I will be highly instrumental in constructing its future. Your skills in tactfully manipulating people and situations to your advantage would be a good balance to my more aggressive solutions to problems. Together we could…" 

"I have no desire to further the depredations of the Empire," Leia cut him off abruptly. This offer was almost as offensive to her as the idea of being his consort.

Arkus quickly removed his feet from the table and sat forward in the chair. "Then think of the beneficial deeds you could accomplish," he countered. "For instance, you could use your influence to temper the Emperor's actions in unpleasant situations. This would surely do more to minimize the suffering of the pathetic sentients you seem to care so much for than this pointless and destructive rebellion you're currently supporting." 

Arkus could see his argument was having little effect on her attitude. He decided to try another approach. "Your position could even afford your father with some protection," he paused for effect, "if he ceased his overt support of the Rebellion."

"You have no cause to threaten my father!" Leia glared at him. 

"Relax, Your Highness," Arkus patronized her. "It is not I who threatens your father. It is his own treasonous behavior - such as it was with Senator Bel Iblis."

Leia set her jaw and intensified her glare. There seemed to be little reason to temper her reaction now. He was obviously convinced of at least her Rebel involvement and intended to use her father as a means of controlling her.

"This is a dangerous game you're playing," Arkus continued. "If you continue on this course you and your father will eventually get burned. I warn you, the next time you get yourself into trouble, I may not be able to prevent your having to face the full consequences of your treason."

"I'll take my chances," she snapped in reply.

"It's your choice, of course. My offer will remain open for two standard months. Do give it some consideration." With that he Force commanded the conference room door to unlock and open.

Before Leia could take her leave, Arkus added loud enough for the guards to hear, "Don't forget the report I promised you." Arkus removed a datapad that been clipped to his belt and slid it down the table toward her. "I believe you will find it interesting reading."

Leia picked up the datapad and quickly left the room, surprised once again that he had let her go so easily.

Arkus closed the door and leaned back in his chair after she had left. The datapad and card he had just given her included more than just the fabricated report on his supposed investigation. The second file contained his personal report to the Emperor on the status of the search for the Death Star plans. That information should be more than enough for the Rebels to determine the best course of action to re-establish contact with their operative. The conversation he had just had with the princess should add urgency to their actions. His plan to flush out the Rebel command chain should begin yielding results soon.

That was all this had been, he tried to convince himself, just a way to intimidate the Rebels into doing something stupid. Still, he knew part of him hoped the princess would reconsider his offer. She had remarkable potential, and he would hate for her to be destroyed by this pointless would-be war. 

He regarded the untouched glasses. No, he wouldn't allow her to be wasted like this wine. He would find a way to make her see the wisdom of the Emperor. Until then, he would just have to keep her out of trouble. 

*****

Bail Organa paced frantically in his quarters, impatiently awaiting the arrival of his daughter. He had ordered the captain to delay their departure by any means necessary until he could be certain Leia was safe. The thought of her at the hands of a Sith lord was more than he could bear.

"Keep her sheltered from the Emperor," Obi-Wan had warned him. "Palpatine would surely detect her Force talent and destroy her outright, or worse."

The echo of those words in his head brought back many memories of the dark days of the Jedi purge. The Jedi temple had been destroyed and the order scattered across the galaxy shortly after Palpatine had declared himself Emperor. The surviving Jedi had been constantly moving from system to system in a vain attempt to hide from Palpatine's assassins. It had therefore not come as a surprise when his old friend, Obi-Wan, had approached him for help, but he had been taken aback by the specifics of his request.

Obi-Wan had been hiding a female human child, barely 2 years old. "Her name is Leia. She is the daughter of a powerful Jedi that has fallen to Palpatine's scourge. She must remain safe at all costs. I cannot protect her," he had explained.

In the end it had proven all very simple. Bail and his wife could have no children of their own, so it came as no surprise when he had announced an adoption. Obi-Wan had already arranged a cover story to hide the child's identity, and with the relief agencies flooded with orphans from the war, none had objected to a quick solution to one of their problems. Leia had become a part of his family in a public ceremony, held right under the Empire's nose.

Obi-Wan had left as soon as it was done, stealing away as mysteriously as he had arrived. "Find me if she is ever in danger," had been his parting words.

Bail could not think of a more dangerous situation than the one she was in now. He had failed to keep her hidden from the Sith, and now all he could do was hope her wits would get her away from them.

He turned expectantly as the door to his quarters slid open and was rewarded with the sight of his daughter. "Oh, Leia! Thank the gods you're safe!" He nearly smothered her in his embrace. "What did that evil creature want with you?"

"I'm not sure, Father. That's what disturbs me the most." They could speak openly without fear here in her father's ship, so Leia proceeded to recap the major points of her conversation with Arkus.

"And this datacard he gave me contains more than the trumped up report he plans to give the Senate. He included the information the Imperials have on Raven's last known activities. It matches everything you've been able to piece together, and it indicates Raven is still free and likely still in possession of the Death Star plans. I'm certain Darth Arkus is setting us up for some kind of trap," she concluded.

"That is the one thing that is certain." Bail brought his hand to his face and turned his back to his daughter. He had been able to control his rising fear during Leia's summary of Arkus' proposal, but now he was nearing panic and did not wish his daughter to see it. This Sith obviously suspected something and would not likely give up until he discovered Leia's true past. Bail could no longer protect her. He had to send her to Obi-Wan. 

He turned to face Leia again - his mind made up. "Raven has demonstrated he can take care of himself. We shall simply wait until he finds a way to contact us. When I know what he has planned I will send Aach to you with instructions for retrieving the plans. I also want you to go to a man named Obi-Wan Kenobi."

"General Kenobi, the Jedi Knight?" Leia asked, incredulous.

"You remember me speaking of him, good.

"Yes, I think we must call upon him if we are to have any hope of stopping this Death Star. He is on Tatooine. I will give Aach the exact coordinates for you. Go to the Jedi, tell him what you told me of Darth Arkus, and then do whatever he asks of you." Bail took his daughter in his arms and kissed her on the head. "Remember, Leia. I will always love you."

Leia hugged her father fiercely. She felt as though he was saying goodbye forever, and something in her heart whispered that this was so. "I will do as you say, Father."

Bail pushed his daughter back to arm's length. "Go now, and do nothing to attract attention until Aach contacts you."

Leia backed slowly through the door. "Goodbye, Father. I love you," were the last words she said to him.


	4. Chap 4 Pieces in Motion

Chapter 4 - Pieces in Motion

Leia sat back in her office chair and tried to absorb the significance of the passage she had just read. She had faithfully perused the Alderaan off-world news updates every day since her father had left nearly two weeks ago. Here finally, buried in the social scene update, were the phrases that indicated her activation was imminent. The code used instructed her to rendezvous with her contact tomorrow evening at the dinner hour in a restaurant she frequented for solitary retreat from her Senate duties. 

This was it then - her last day as an Imperial Senator. It wasn't that she lacked confidence in the competence of her father's Alliance Intelligence advisors. She was just certain their plan here involved her permanent extraction from Imperial service as well as the retrieval of the Death Star plans. She was no longer a diplomat and part-time courier looking to subvert the Empire. She was now a full-fledged Rebel soldier. She worried what fall-out her father might suffer as a result of her disappearance, but she had promised to do as he instructed. She only prayed he knew what he was doing. 

***

Arkus blinked his way out of his light meditation trance. The last several days had been mind numbingly dull, but he had not allowed anything to distract him from his vigilance of the princess's movements - not even sleep. He knew what price he would pay if he allowed her to escape undetected and had therefore kept every ounce of his Force focus on her and her surroundings. 

Just now, a gentle ripple in the Force had washed over his consciousness warning him that things were not as they had been. He reached out to the princess's presence in the Force and gently felt for her emotions. The connection was established immediately and much more easily than it should have been. He reflected on this only briefly, rationalizing it away as a result of his constant attention to her, before submersing himself in her sense. 

She was anxious and gave him an impression of both dread and expectation. The additional emotion of finality he was feeling told him she was not expecting to return to her normal life. She had been contacted somehow, he knew. The Rebels would be coming for her soon.

Arkus rose from his bed and went to the computer terminal at his desk. From there he used his security clearances to access a complete status of the Coruscant Spaceport vehicle tracking system. A quick review of recently docked transports, orbiting starships, and scheduled arrivals revealed nothing of Alderaanian registry, but then he really wasn't expecting anything so obvious. 

Slowly he began a more detailed assessment of the various arrivals and scheduled departures. The Rebels would not be foolish enough to risk an unauthorized launch, and they would be sure to schedule the departure soon after contacting the princess to minimize the chances of detection. Similarly, they would not want the chosen transport to be within Coruscant space for long to avoid attracting Imperial attention. So Arkus started looking for recent arrivals with departures scheduled within days.

One entry caught his eye and immediately appealed to his sense of irony. A CR-90 Corvette with Corellian diplomatic registry had just arrived this morning to deliver that system's newly appointed senator. The ship was berthed in one Coruscant's orbital docking facilities for re-supply and would be departing tomorrow evening. The filed flight plan indicated the Corvette would be returning to Corellia, but a ship that size would not require re-supply for such a short tour. The ship appeared all the more suspicious when he combined that bit with his thought that a Corvette seemed a little too substantial for such a mundane mission. 

Bel Iblis and Organa had indeed been coconspirators in this rebellion. There would still be plenty of sympathetic members in Corellia's diplomatic corp. This was the ship. Arkus had absolutely no doubts.

**

That evening Darth Arkus kneeled again before the Emperor and waited to be recognized. He was growing anxious somehow and had to strain to hide it from his master. It would not do to show nervous excitement on his first real assignment, no matter how important the outcome might be. Finally he was addressed.

"You have something to report?"

"Yes, My Master," he responded eagerly. "The Rebels are planning to evacuate Princess Organa tomorrow evening on a Corellian diplomatic vessel. I am confident she will be given instructions to retrieve the Death Star plans and rendezvous with her Rebel cell. I have taken the liberty of attaching a tracking beacon to the ship." 

Arkus paused briefly, then ventured, "I suggest the princess should be allowed to leave Coruscant unhindered so she can lead us to her Rebel base."

The Emperor studied him for a moment before replying. "You are confident your beacon will not be discovered?"

"Yes, My Master. It is secure." Arkus had posed as a docking slip crewman to approach the transport and surreptitiously plant the beacon on the hull. The beacon would remain passive until activated by the acceleration of the ion engines and would therefore be undetectable to the Rebel's pre-launch scans.

"Very well. I will instruct Ms. Isard to allow this traitor to escape her grasp." The Emperor gestured towards the door, dismissing him. "You have done well, my young apprentice. Your work on this matter is done."

Arkus was stunned into immobility. He had been taken aback by the implication that the Intelligence Agency had been looking over his shoulder, but being removed so abruptly from this assignment when he had done nothing wrong left him utterly bewildered. His mind was screaming 'NO!', but he couldn't manage a verbal protest. Instead, he simply remained in his reverent position with only a slight shudder betraying his confused outrage.

The Emperor, of course, needed no words to recognize Arkus' objection. "You have something to say?" he asked impatiently.

Arkus swallowed hard and tried to regain his composure. "I had anticipated following the princess myself," he stated carefully, almost hopefully.

"That won't be necessary. Darth Vader's duties at Desparye are complete. He will be in position to track this Rebel scum. You should return to your studies. The Rebels are no longer your concern." Again the Emperor dismissed Arkus with a wave of his hand.

Arkus clenched his teeth painfully at the mention of Darth Vader. He had never had much respect for his master's senior Sith Lord. The thought of having his work turned over to that clumsy idiot was almost more than his temper could bear. Would he never escape from the shadow of that man? 

Still, Arkus knew he could do nothing to change the Emperor's decision. He had already tested his master's patience once. Further objections would only bring punishment. 

"As you wish," he managed curtly through tight lips and then quickly marched out of the throne room with balled fists. 

**

The Emperor watched him leave, thoroughly amused by Arkus' near outburst at having had his prized project given over to his perceived nemesis. The boy was getting better at controlling his emotions, but he was still young and prone to strong reactions. This made manipulating and controlling him all too easy for one whom could read him so clearly. In that respect he was very much like his father. 'How upset would Arkus be at that comparison?' Palpatine chuckled to himself.

Tension was definitely growing between his two apprentices - the senior wanting to exert control over the younger, the younger wanting to prove his worth exceeded that of the senior. They would soon clash. He needed only to provide the proper kindling. This particular situation promised to provide the fuel needed to turn the boy's disdain for Darth Vader into open hostility.

Arkus' infatuation with the Rebel princess had been apparent to him from the moment the boy had first tried to justify allowing her to leave Balitar. The Emperor had at first been convinced that Arkus had allowed his feelings to override his judgement and had been prepared to punish him severely. If the boy could be so easily swayed, he would be of no use. But after hearing him out, the Emperor had been convinced that the boy had had more than just cause. He had not allowed her to truly escape Imperial reach or to continue her mission. The possibility of using her to uncover the traitors from the top leadership down to their military bases was worth the delay in obtaining any information the princess might reveal in interrogation.

It seemed Arkus' fascination with the girl was like that of a cruel feline playing with its prey, allowing the victim to briefly feel hope of escape only to bat it back into danger with a clawed paw. Clearly Arkus felt that the princess was his personal pet and intended to keep her as his own. The Emperor had no objection to this on the surface, as long it did not interfere with his plans. After all it was natural for a boy his age to show interest in the opposite gender. Denying the boy pursuit of his instinctive attraction would generate unwanted strain in his devotion.

So he had allowed Arkus to shadow the princess unhindered, but had assigned Ysanne Isard, the new Director of Imperial Intelligence, to observe her as well to ensure nothing inappropriate occurred. The fact that Arkus had detected the Rebels' plans and brought them to his attention before Isard had reported any activity maintained the Emperor's confidence in both Arkus' abilities and his loyalty. Now Palpatine could consider the princess just one more game piece in his overall scheme. Just like every other resource in the galaxy, he would use her to his advantage. 

***

Leia waited nervously for her taxi by the balcony entrance to her private apartment. She carried only her datapad case full of the Senate reports she typically reviewed while dining alone. All of her personal belongings would be left behind to be destroyed by the Imperial Intelligence officers sure to rummage through her home once her disappearance was discovered. She was full of both regret and anticipation. This was the start of her new life.

The taxi appeared sooner than she expected. She watched impassively as the hovercraft settled on the balcony, using the sight of the smooth motion of the taxi to soothe her anxiety. She had just finished preparing for her destiny when the driver emerged from the craft and delivered her a surprise. 

'That's Aach!' her stunned mind registered. She recognized him even through the disguise he wore. So, they weren't going to wait for her at the restaurant. This was her contact. She was amazed at the rebel agents' ability to anticipate when and from where she would call for a taxi, but then they probably had kept her under distant surveillance since her father had left.

"Good evening, Your Highness. I understand you wish to dine at Misperaries tonight. It will be my pleasure to drive you," Aach graciously greeted her and walked around the hovercraft to open the passenger door for her.

"That's correct. Do drive carefully," Leia responded as she slipped into the passenger compartment. 

After Aach closed the door for her, Leia felt a gentle touch at her ankle. She glanced down at the floorboard to see the face of her old friend and confidante peering out from under the seat. Leia's eyes widened in response, but the finger Winter held to her lips warned her to not to react further.

Leia returned her gaze to the front window and waited patiently as Aach returned to his pilot's seat.

"Traffic is light this evening. We should be at Misperaries within in 20 minutes," Aach announced as he fired up the craft's repulsers and gently navigated it back into the Coruscant skyline traffic flow. The passenger windows and the transparisteel divider between the pilot and passenger compartments darkened, as was customary in Coruscant's high-class taxis to allow the passengers a degree of privacy. As soon as this was accomplished, Winter slid out from her hiding place and thrust a set a clothes at Leia.

"We must hurry, Your Highness. I will be going to the restaurant in your place. You will remain in here until Aach can safely deliver you to a shuttle we have waiting. He will explain everything else to you on the way," Winter hurriedly explained as she worked to help Leia out of her Senate gown.

"But what about you?" Leia protested as she slid her gown over her head and reached for the one-piece jumpsuit Winter had provided.

"Don't worry about me, Leia. I'll get loose of the Imperial agents. It's better if you don't know how."

There was no time for further discussion while the two women completed dressing for their respective roles. When all garments and accessories were properly exchanged they meet each other's eyes once more.

"Well, how do I look?" Winter inquired as she adjusted her dyed hair. 

"Just like a princess, Your Highness," Leia teased back. It never ceased to amaze her how with just some hair dye, colored eyes lenses and a little makeup Winter could transform herself into her near identical twin.

"We must do something with your hair and makeup, though," Winter grew serious again. "A starship crewmember would never use such an impractical style. Turn around."

Leia obeyed and worked to wipe the makeup from her face as Winter let down her circular braids and re-tamed her hair into a neat bun at the base of her neck. When she turned to face her old friend again Winter gruffly placed a work cap on top of her head and yanked on the bill until the brim was nearly down to her eyebrows.

"There, that will have to do. Try to get inside the shuttle as quickly as possible without drawing attention to yourself. It will take you to a Corvette we have docked in-orbit. You'll be safe once you're on-board." Winter squeezed her hands by way of goodbye as they felt hovercraft decelerate. 

"Now, under the seat with you, and don't come out until Aach says it's safe."

"Goodbye, Winter. And thanks," Leia whispered as she slid into her hiding place.

"Just take care of yourself."

Leia drew her legs to her chest to fit into the cramped space and dared not even to breathe when the passenger door opened.

"Here we are, Your Highness. I believe we have your personal account on record for billing. Have a pleasant evening," Leia heard Aach say to Winter.

"Thank you," was all she heard of Winter's reply before the door was closed again.

Seconds seemed to stretch into minutes as Aach returned to the pilot's seat and set the craft in motion again. 

"Please stay down," she heard Aach mumble softly from a small comlink stashed somewhere with her under the seat.

"There's a datacard there with the comlink. It contains all the information you need."

Leia quickly located the comlink and datacard and slipped the later into a pocket.

"My next call is to a tapcafe where some of your fellow crewmembers have been relaxing," Aach continued. "When we stop, there will be a scuffle as they try to pile into the passenger compartment. Slip out and back onto the seat when you can. They know to be expecting you. They'll take care of you from there. Good luck, Your Highness."

With that the comlink went dead and Leia was left alone with her nervous anticipation. She shoved the comlink into the same pocket with datacard, not knowing if she would need it again, and settled in for the rest of her ride.

**

Ysanne Isard sneered in disgust as she observed the Rebel's decoy exiting the taxi. Peering closely at the woman through her macrobinoculars, she grudgingly had to admit that her agents likely would not have picked up on the switch had they not been alerted to the fact that an operation was in progress. At this distance the only distinguishable difference between the princess and this woman was a few centimeters in height, and even that was cleverly camouflaged by the use of slightly shorter heels in the boots she wore. The audacity of the Rebel's plan infuriated her only slightly less than the orders she had been given to allow the princess to escape unhindered.

She hissed in spiteful frustration as the taxi sped off towards its next stop at a local tapcafé. Yes, she had been able to piece together the puzzle of the Rebel's plans, but only after she had been provided the means and timing of their departure from Coruscant. The Emperor had taken great pleasure in pointing out her shortcomings compared to his other agent and even greater pleasure in withholding the name and nature of that agent. 

Well, she would not tolerate being made to look like a fool. Just as with that disaster at Darkknell, someone would be made to pay in such a way as to further her career. The princess may be untouchable, but that was not the case for the Rebels assisting her in this scheme. A predatory smile slowly spread across her face as she watched two sets of her agents skillfully shadow the decoy woman and the departing taxi along their diverging courses.


	5. Chap 5 Foiled Plans

Chapter 5 – Foiled Plans

Aach's expression quickly changed from accommodating taxi pilot to calculating operative the second his last fare was dropped off. Princess Leia had been delivered to her shuttle nearly an hour earlier, but it had been necessary for him to assume a full shift for the hapless owner of the taxi in order to maintain appearances for as long as possible. In fact, Aach had been piloting this taxi for two days now while the rightful driver was kept blissfully semi-conscious feeding his illicit drug habit in one of the less reputable establishments of this part of the city. Tomorrow morning that driver would come down off his high to find his taxi just as he had left it and would hopefully write the whole episode off as just another party gone too far. If not, it wouldn't matter much. By then the Corvette would be well on its way and he and Winter safely back with the Rebel underground.

He now drove the taxi back to the tapcafe district from which it had been purloined and eased it into a dim lit parking area close enough to its original position for the hungover owner to find it easily. Leaving the outer coat and hat of the taxi uniform behind, he casually exited the vehicle to blend quickly into the seedy crowd congesting the already cramped and littered walkways. His relatively small stature and the overall lack of concern of the crowd allowed him to surreptitiously discard bits and pieces of his disguise unnoticed as he meandered slowly through the assortment of drunk and drugged sentients. By the time he emerged on the other side of the district, his appearance was different enough to fool a casual observer.

Walking with just a bit of a weave added to his stride, he made his way to a nondescript hovercar and fumbled a minute with the door and controls before successfully heading out in the direction of low rent housing. There was safe house hidden among those residences, and upon arriving he wasted no time in changing into more formal attire and heading back out in yet another, if somewhat fancier, hovercar. Though conscious of the seeming incongruity of his now posh appearance among the dilapidated surroundings, he was unconcerned. To these residents he was likely considered just another sleazy politician taking advantage of the number of accommodating bedriders and other entertainments available in the area. 

Misperaries was not far from the safe house, and Aach found himself there a bit earlier than expected. Looking briefly at his chrono, he spared a moment to consider what the Princess Leia's progress might be. It had now been over two hours since he had dropped her off, and there had been no communication from her on the comlink he had provided. From this he concluded that she must be safely on-board the Corvette, which by this time should be preparing to undock. If everything continued as smoothly as it had been, she would be in hyperspace within the hour. It was time now to work on getting Winter out from under the Imperials' reach.

He gracefully exited the hovercover and handed the valet the access key along with a sizable tip. "Park her close, if you would," he requested with a gracious smile.

"Of course, sir," the appreciative valet responded.

Drawing himself into his most elegant posture, Aach proceeded into the restaurant and greeted the host with a confident and pleasant smile. "I have reservations for two under the name Perick. My companion is likely already here."

The host reacted with a hesitant look and turned to review his registry. "I'm checking, sir, but the registry indicates that reservation was cancelled earlier today."

"Oh, surely not," Aach responded with feigned surprise. "She would never have cancelled a reservation here."

The host put on his most apologetic façade and confirmed, "I'm sorry, sir, but the reservation has indeed been cancelled by someone."

"That spiteful woman," Aach now frowned in consternation. "Try to apologize and look what I get for my efforts. Just like her to embarrass me like this."

The host was obviously uncomfortable with Aach's elaboration. "Perhaps you would like to make another reservation for tomorrow night, or next week," he offered.

"No, no. If this is how she's going to be, I'll not be bringing her back here. Why, I bet that little vixen is here watching this just to get a laugh," Aach scoffed then let a knowing smirk cross his face. "In fact, I know she must be. Why don't you let me have a look see?"

"Oh no, sir. That would hardly be appropriate," the host replied with appalled shock.

"Oh come now, give a guy a break," Aach said with his most charming smile as he delivered a exceedingly generous sum to the host. "I promise to be a gentleman."

The host regarded him dubiously but slowly pocketed the credits, the large sum apparently smoothing his offended sense of propriety. "You may look, quickly and quietly," he emphasized. 

"But of course," Aach winked in reply and quickly entered the dining area before the host had a chance to change his mind. He walked down the circular path separating the more exclusive tables by the transparisteel from those in the interior of the restaurant and made just enough of a show to attract the momentary attention of the diners as he passed them. One of the diners who graced him with a curious glance was Winter, who had up to that point appeared to be engrossed in reviewing her datapad over an after-dinner cafe. He slyly made their signal to communicate all was going as planned and completed his circuit around the restaurant to return to the host's station.

"Guess she's really through with me this time. Oh well, there's plenty more where she came from," Aach remarked smugly as he departed.

"Indeed sir," the host muttered in obvious relief at having avoided a scene.

**

Winter thanked her taxi driver as she turned to enter the main lobby of Leia's apartment building. She had been quite relieved to see Aach appear on schedule at the restaurant to inform her that Leia's extraction had gone smoothly. Now Winter had only to convince the Imperials that the Princess was turning in for the night before seeing to her own safety.

"Good evening, Senator," the doorman greeted her with the title considered more prestigious in this political environment. "I believe there is a package for you in the building administrative office." 

"Thank you. I'll see to it," Winter acknowledged with a polite nod and gentle smile. Inside her own thoughts she mentally checked off yet one more item crucial to the successful completion of this mission, for hidden in that package were the means for her escape.

Giving of her new surroundings and the guards at the building entrance only a cursory scan to avoid raising suspicion, Winter headed directly for the administrator's station. When she arrived there without incident, Winter courteously addressed the clerk behind the desk, "I understand you have a package for me." 

"Ah, yes. Senator Leia Organa, correct?"

Winter nodded in affirmation.

The clerk checked her log and verified, "Yes, it arrived earlier this evening while you were out. Just a moment, it's in the back," she said and rose from her desk to enter the office behind her station. 

Winter used the opportunity to cast a casual but this time assessing glance back in the direction of the guards and out through the transparasteel by the building entrance. She was concerned that the increased surveillance Leia had been under since Balitar might have resulted in the package being confiscated and subjected to Imperial scrutiny. A standard scan would pick up nothing but some clothing and delicacy food items thanks to the return signal decoys imbedded in the package lining, but if the package had been opened… Well, that was part of the reason Aach was supposed to be outside waiting for her.

But there was nothing in the guards' stance to suggest that they were at all interested in the proceedings, and she again noted no unusual activity outside. When the clerk emerged without delay cradling a largish rectangular package in her arms, Winter turned her attention to back to her and made a quick inspection of package exterior as clerk continued her approached. Winter was relieved to see the subtle tamper indicators sealing the seams plainly showed it had not been opened and greeted the clerk again with a slight smile.

"Here it is. It's a little heavy though. Would you like some help with it?" the clerk offered helpfully as she set the package on the desk. 

"No, thank you. I can manage it," Winter replied kindly as she placed her hand on the registry and allowed her overlayed fingerprints to be scanned to sign for the package. 

"Have a good night then, Senator," the clerk said after verifying the identification, quite satisfied her responsibility was complete. 

Winter picked up the package and completed the short trek to the private turbolifts without incident. Once inside, she keyed the code for the level shared by Leia's and several other apartments. More spacious and private accommodations were prohibitively expensive and difficult to obtain on Coruscant, even for an Imperial Senator. Leia's added status as royalty from a prominent and prestigious Imperial system improved her priority only enough to secure a corner apartment with a private balcony. These conditions would now work to Winter's advantage.

The number of apartments on each floor and the private access available to some made it difficult for anyone to thoroughly track every being entering and leaving the building. It should therefore come as no surprise to the doorman and guards below to see an unknown glamorously dressed woman exit the building unescorted late at night. All of the building's employees were well experienced in overlooking the discreet visitors of the wealthier residents. Winter need only gain access to another apartment and appear to depart as a guest for that resident. 

To accomplish this task she had been provided an ascension gun, a camouflaged body suit with a utility belt, a datapad with a lock slicing program, a small hold-out blaster and a suitable dress. The residence chosen for her intrusion belonged to a moderately wealthy computer programmer who led a quiet and by all appearances moral life in the apartment immediately above Leia's. He was known to work very late into the evening and so should not be home when Winter entered. If he was home, she would likely have to employ the blaster, on stun setting of course, to allow her the time to change into the dress and quietly exit the building. Winter regretted the possibility of having to add such complications to the man's life. However, his situation was perfect for her purposes and no permanent harm would be done. 

The turbolift doors opened to admit Winter into the small foyer and narrow hallway serving as an internal passageway to the apartments. She casually made her way Leia's apartment and juggled the package somewhat awkwardly to key the entry code and gain access.

"Lights, standard level," she called to the computerized controls as she turned to close and lock the door behind her. 

No longer concerned with visual surveillance, Winter immediately set the package down on the café table in the living area and ran her index finger over the interface panel to open it. She still had several hours to prepare before she would need to use the contents, but she was eager to verify her supplies and regain contact capability with Aach via the comlink inside. A light on the panel winked on in acceptance, and the locking mechanism released with a quiet click. The package top unfolded itself to reveal the contents arranged just as she expected. Smiling in satisfied relief, she reached for the comlink and turned it on. 

" …erails blockading the main entrance. Get out of there! Now!" Aach was exclaiming in hushed tones. "Do you copy? Get out of there!"

Winter's blood ran stone cold at the instant realization of her new situation. She immediately looked to the transparasteel balcony entrance for a possible escape but was forced to reject the idea just as quickly at the sight of two Imperial Intelligence hovercars approaching the landing area. Even at this distance she could recognize the thick black hair with streaming white forelocks framing the face of Ysanne Isard. That the director of the Imperial Intelligence Agency was personally participating in this raid hinted at the possibility that their entire operation was already compromised. If so, Aach would have his own difficulties to deal with.

"I copy. Get loose yourself. You can't help me." Winter grimly replied to Aach.

Still far from panic, Winter quickly grabbed up the ascension gun, blaster and the utility belt and ran to Leia's bedroom. There was a window there on the other outside wall of the apartment. With any luck the Imperials would not have thought to guard it due to the elevation of the apartment and lack of escape routes on that side of the building, but perhaps with use of the ascension gun she might surprise them.

Throwing the window open she leaned herself out into the night air and craned her head around in search of any ledge or outcropping on which the ascension gun could take hold. There were just a few decorative shelves sparsely located both above and below her that served only to accentuate the main sculpture protruding from the center of the building's exterior. None appeared to offer a site of easy access off of or back into the building. With the Imps now battering away at both the balcony and main entrances, she had little time to give a detailed assessment to the dismal options before her. Bracing herself to blindly pick one in what would likely end up in a futile effort, she suddenly caught a glimpse of another alternative.

Several floors below her, at the base of the sculpture was a landing platform for a service entrance. At this time of night it was practically deserted save for one speeder bike, the owner of which seemed to be resting casually against it and absently staring in the opposite direction from her. Here was her way out, if she could reach it. The platform was at least fifty meters below her and a similar distance to her right. To try that jump would be considered suicide under normal circumstances, but to Winter that risk was preferable to facing Imperial interrogation.

Quickly discarding the decorative belt of Leia's senatorial gown, she replaced it with the utility belt and situated the blaster in the holster. Leaning back out the window she mentally traced the arc she would have to travel to reach the platform and then calculated the point on the sculpture from which it would have to be centered. Taking careful aim, she steadied her grip on the ascension gun and fired.

The grappling module sped silently away into the night and found its purchase on the sculpture just slightly above her position in the window. Winter locked the cord reel in place and secured the gun to the utility belt to provide additional support for her body during the flight to come. Twining the cord around her right arm and gripping it tightly with both hands, she said a silent prayer for luck and jumped just as she heard the balcony entrance give way to the Imperials.

Time seemed to slow down as she fell freely through the first few meters, the tension on the cord growing gradually as she started the swing of a pendulum. She worked to drag her feet across the building exterior, trying anything to increase friction and reduce the forward velocity at which she would be traveling near the arc's bottom. There she would have to release the grappling module and fall to the landing platform with hope that she simply wouldn't skip across the surface to fall off the other side. 

As if sent to assist her efforts, a strong thermal gust whipped up and around the corner of the building to rage against her flight and add to the windstorm already tearing her hair free from the circular braids that contained it. Squinting her eyes against the wind's assault, she focused her concentration on the approaching platform. Deciding to aim for the absolute nearest point, she cut loose from the grapple fixture just before her path brought her over the surface.

She had the barest fraction of second to prepare for the jarring impact as her body was driven hard onto the duracrete. When she hit, she let her legs give way into a roll and used her arms to shelter her head as she began to tumble haphazardly across the surface. Surprised not to feel bones breaking at the initial impact, she was equally surprised when she slammed into a stack of crates and was knocked briefly senseless.

The first thing Winter's muddled brain realized was that she had managed stop safely and with relatively few injuries. The second thing that registered was a darkly dressed form leaning over her and grabbing tightly onto her left arm.

"Stang! Are you alright?" said a voice in impressed amazement.

Winter focused briefly into the intense blue eyes of the kid now trying to help her out the heap of ruined crates and accepted his assistance to upright herself and get free of the cord tangled around her. She had just regained her footing when the sound a distant explosion echoed up between the buildings. Winter immediately attributed it to Aach's attempt at escape and did not allow it to divert her attention. However, the kid turned his head curiously toward the direction from which the sound seemed to originate. Winter used the moment of distraction to break free of his grasp and quickly draw the blaster to point at his chest.

"Now I'll just need that speeder bike of yours," she said coldly in response to his shocked expression.

"Whoa! Hey, whatever lady. It's yours. Key card's in it," the kid conceded, raising his arms as he quickly backed away toward the service entrance.

"You don't mind staying right there while I verify that, do you?" she threatened as she limped slowly toward the speeder bike, always keeping the blaster trained on him.

The kid didn't reply but simply gestured toward the bike. When she was next to it, she glanced down and noted that the key was indeed inserted into the ignition panel.

"Nice to see there's still some honesty on Imperial Center," Winter acknowledged as she waved him away.

The kid had no chance to respond as a volley of laser fire from Leia's window tore into the platform between them. Winter lost all concern about him as she turned and hopped onto the bike while ducking the blasts. Hitting the ignition switch and accelerator almost simultaneously, she was gratified when the speeder roared to life and sped off at her command with no complaint.

She headed immediately around the opposite corner of the building to get out of range of Isard's agents and then dived for the surface, keeping her eyes sharp to search for additional Imperials as she began to weave between buildings. When no pursuit was immediately apparent, Winter re-holstered the blaster and reached for the comlink.

"I'm clear of the area," she reported to Aach.

**

Aach felt some relief when Winter finally acknowledged his warning about the Imperials entering the building, but his concern spiked again when her terse voice reported there was nothing he could do to help her. He had been prepared to fight his way through the Imps to reach Leia's landing platform or any other exit point Winter managed to find. That she had waved him off suggested the situation was even grimmer than it appeared from his vantage point in an alley on the other side of the street.

He carefully studied his own surroundings for any sign that he too was in trouble. If the Imps were on to him it would mean Princess Leia was in danger as well, and he would need to send out the appropriate distress call while he still could. But there was no sign of any threatening activity in his vicinity and no indication that he was under surveillance. Refusing to be comforted in that, he nevertheless set his mind to not abandon Winter here. He would wait as long as possible on the chance that an opportunity might arise for him to help her. 

Aach focused on the military hovercars parked by the building and the few stormtroopers standing guard at the entrance and keeping all pedestrian traffic away. The small anti-personnel detonators he was carrying would easily destroy the hovercars and create quite a distraction for the guards in the process. The streets were still crowded enough that he was confident in his ability to lose any subsequent pursuit the stormies could muster, especially if he left them with no immediate transport available. Satisfied he had a workable plan of action, Aach settled back to wait for the moment when it would benefit Winter the most.

He'd only waited a few minutes when one the stormtroopers seemed to acknowledge a transmission and signaled to his companions. As three began to move toward the hovercars, Aach gunned his accelerator and sent his own hovercar speeding recklessly into the street. All the guards turned in his direction but had no time to react further before he neatly lobbed a pair of detonators in their direction. 

The first one he threw missed the rear vehicle and instead skidded to halt in the midst of the stormtroopers. The second found its intended target, landing perfectly in the pilot's seat of the roofless craft. Both exploded within a second of landing, disabling or destroying both hovercars and killing all of the guards either directly through the small blasts or by the flying shrapnel they created.

Aach was unaware of the full effectiveness of his attack as he sped away, but noted with deep satisfaction that no immediate pursuit ensued. He made several quick turns intending to first work his way toward busier thoroughfares to get lost in the traffic and then toward more private areas where he could ditch the hovercar sure to have been captured on surveillance video. He had just succeeded in blending in with the late night traffic when his comlink squawked.

"I'm clear of the area." He heard Winter say over the roar of what sounded like a souped up speeder bike. 

"All is well here. Do you need assistance?" Aach quickly offered.

"Negative, all is quiet. But we may have a busted vac suit," she responded, referring the possibility that their cover might have blown to the point that Leia was in danger.

Aach considered this again, but quickly convinced himself that if that were the case the Imps would surely have been shadowing him as well and shown themselves by now. Their intent must have been just to arrest Leia, but they had been too late. Now there was nothing they could do track her even if they did manage to piece together the details of the operation. There was no need to warn Leia off at Toprawa.

"I'm breathing just fine here," he replied. "Let's turn in for the evening," he added by way of instructing her to proceed to the prearranged safe house.

**

Isard cursed in frustrated disbelief as shot after shot missed her target on the landing platform below. Her aim was usually dead on, but tonight she had an uncontrollable twitch just as she pulled the trigger. Yet another item to add to the list of disasters plaguing her this night.

The first mishap had been the lack of response from the team tracking the taxi driver when she had made the call to move in. She had attributed it to a malfunctioning comlink at the time and focused on her primary target, the woman who had so boldly posed as the Princess. 

After bursting into the apartment and discovering the contents of the mystery package the woman had picked up, Isard had quickly surmised the Rebel agent's plans. She had called for backup to cover the building's exterior and dispersed the agents accompanying her through the building's interior in case the woman had already managed to gain access to another apartment. The sound of the explosion and subsequent lack of response from the detail at the building entrance heralded the occurrence of the second disaster and clarified the true the meaning of the first. 

Still convinced that she had the woman trapped in the building somewhere, Isard hadn't recalled any agents to the hovercars on the landing platform until after discovering the Rebel had somehow made to the service platform below. Isard had intended to kill the woman herself or to at least hold her off from the speeder bike long enough for the agents to reach her, but her aim had failed her. She held no illusion that the agents would react in time to catch the woman now speeding away into the night.

"Damn!" she muttered vehemently under her breath, cursing the Rebel's luck. Isard had thought her use of limited resources would eliminate the possible leak of the raid through the spies that infested her office. The events of this evening strongly implied the Rebels were better positioned than she had estimated, and now the lack of alerted resources meant the scum would likely escape unhindered.

"Lose something?" a voice quietly mocked her from behind.

Isard spun around in raging fury at the imbecile who would dare to address her so. Expecting to confront a straggling agent and blast him into oblivion, she was taken aback by the unassuming, shrouded figure that held its ground before her. It took only a microsecond for realization to hit her.

"You're the Emperor's other agent," she sneered in accusation as she tried unsuccessfully to get a clear view of her competitor's face.

"And the one who just saved you from yourself," he taunted in reply.

"YOU!" she screamed in uncontrolled hatred, fully intending to fire her blaster and rid the Empire of this abhorrent traitor.

But the figure's gloved hand whipped quickly out from the cloak surrounding him to knock the blaster forcefully from her grip with the power of his thought. She had no time to completely grasp the significance of that action before the hand dropped down in a tightly clenched fist and forced her down to her belly in seeming response to the motion. The first bit of scornful fear began emerging in Isard's mind as she realized she was entirely at the mercy of this manipulative, Force-using menace. 

"You were ordered to stay clear of this Rebel operation," he hissed at her.

"I was told only to allow Princess Organa to leave. No restrictions were made on her cohorts," Isard spitefully defended herself.

"You risked everything just to prove yourself against these worthless pawns," he continued his accusations, unaffected by her argument.

"I risked nothing! I waited until the Princess was in hyperspace. There was no way for them to warn her."

"So sure of the Rebel's capabilities, are you? They seem to have proven themselves quite resourceful against you in the past," he mocked her again.

Isard seethed in growing anger at his allusion to the failure at Darkknell and banished all fear from her mind. If he had intended to kill her, he would have done so already. No, this he was doing simply to humiliate her, perhaps in a power play for the Emperor's favor. She would not gratify him with her fear or any acknowledgment of failure on her part.

Arkus noted the shift in Isard's emotions. He truly wished he could kill her, but the Emperor seemed infatuated with her, another bauble to add to his collection perhaps. Arkus would not risk his master's wrath over this pathetic creature, but he also would not allow her to ruin the plans he had for the Princess. 

Had Isard just wanted the woman, it would have been acceptable, but moving in on the other would have tipped the Rebel's that their operation had been compromised from the start. Arkus had prevented that blunder by disposing of the agents following that man back in the vile tap café district the Rebel had walked through. Providing assistance here to the woman had not been strictly necessary, but Arkus had taken great pleasure in demonstrating his power to Isard. That she had been watching the Princess over his shoulder had infuriated him, and now he wanted to make it clear to her that he would not tolerate any further meddling just so she could attempt to impress the Emperor. 

Knowing his objectives had been satisfactorily met, Arkus released Isard from his hold and drew back into the shadows. 

"I suggest you work on an explanation for the Emperor," he advised. "Perhaps with your talent, you can turn this to your advantage after all." Arkus then left her to stew with that final taunt. 

****

Leia's tension did not release as the Corvette entered hyperspace. She was reminded of her recent departure from Balitar. Arkus had not really let her go then, and she couldn't believe he had now. 

There was no evidence they had been discovered. Her portion of the operation had run perfectly. Aach had stopped to pick up supposedly drunken starship crewmembers screaming that they would miss their shuttle as they scrambled into the taxi. Leia had slipped out of her hiding place in the confusion and done her best to join in their shouts. During the brief exposures of the shuttle trip and boarding the Corvette, her new companions had taken care to always keep her surrounded to prevent any on-lookers from getting a close look at her. But nobody had appeared interested. There had apparently been no difficulty in obtaining clearance to launch either. 

Leia absently rubbed her bruised arm where she had been inadvertently kicked as she pondered the ease of her escape. Everything had simply gone too smoothly.

The soft warble of an R2 unit broke the silence.

"Well, it looks like we'll be together for a while," she responded to the droid and his humanoid mechanical companion sharing her new quarters. 

R2-D2 and C-3PO had been in her father's service in one capacity or another for as long as she could remember. Now, according to the instructions on the datacard that Aach had given her, R2 would be needed to decrypt the Death Star plans that would be transmitted to this ship as they flew by Toprawa. C-3PO was just along as the other droid's interpreter.

"Oh, Mistress Leia, is this space travel really necessary?" Threepio whined. "I really do function much better on firm ground."

"Everything will be fine, Threepio," Leia sighed. She had almost forgotten how trying this droid could be. This could prove to be a long trip indeed.

A chime at her door rescued Leia from additional complaints.

"Come in," she responded thankfully and rose to greet her visitor.

The door slid open and admitted the Corvette's captain.

"Please forgive my intrusion, Your Highness. I thought it best to introduce myself in person," the young Corellian began, standing at military attention. "I am Captain Ifrim Dosha, commander of this vessel. It is my pleasure to present the Dawning Sun and her 53 crewmembers to you as a representative of the Rebel Alliance. We will proudly serve under your direction." 

Leia was as surprised by his statement as she was by his military formality. The datacard had said nothing to suggest that this vessel and crew were new defectors. She had simply assumed they were veterans. Leia had plenty of experience enticing and receiving new support from planetary diplomats, but accepting new military recruits was something new. She hardly felt regal in this worn work uniform, but perhaps this was the true face of the Rebellion.

Leia extended her hand. "It is my honor to accept your service in this mission. I'm sure you will receive official commissions when we reach our final destination."

Dosha accepted her handshake as willingly as her reluctance to reveal the details of their mission. He was a firm believer in "need to know", and all he needed right now was a course heading.

"We have made the jump to hyperspace along a heading consistent with our planned return to Corellia, but I had been given instructions to expect a course change. Do you have any orders at this time?" he asked.

Leia winced as his words reminded her of her paranoia. "You are sure we have left Coruscant undetected?"

"There are no indications we are being followed or tracked in any way. We ran a thorough scan before launch," Dosha stated confidently.

Leia sighed, still disturbed but uncertain what else she could do. "Then revert from hyperspace at the first opportunity, and set course for Toprawa at top speed. We have a transmission to receive." 


	6. Chap 6 Reflection and Refraction

Chapter 6 – Reflection and Refraction

Darth Vader stared passively into space from the bridge of his Star Destroyer, mesmerized by the glowing twin suns dawning over the fragile limb of Tatooine. The breathtaking sight might have given others cause to reflect on the wonders of life, but not him. Tatooine, once his home, now sparked only bitter memories of loss and betrayal. 

It had been more than fifteen years since he had ventured into this system. Then he had been on a quest to find his stolen progeny. Stolen was the only way to describe what Obi-Wan had done with his and Padme's child, for he had taken the boy away from both of them. While this had enraged him, Vader could only guess what it had done to Padme. Crushed her spirit, he was sure. 

In those first years after his betrayal of the Jedi, Vader had hoped to find Padme and convince her to join him. They could have ruled the galaxy together, ended the bitter rivalries between species and systems, and brought an order and peace to the galaxy that it had never known before. Such prosperity could only be brought about by forceful control. Letting sentients choose their own path even into ruin and death, as the Jedi had believed should be done, only brought about chaos. Padme would have understood in time. 

The Jedi had tried to hide her from him, he knew, but Padme had never been one sit back idly as the universe went by. She had eventually resurfaced as the leader of a small resistance group fighting Palpatine's rule on her home world of Naboo. The Emperor, determined to make an example out of his disavowed home, had sent the best of the Imperial fleet and army to crush all vestiges of defiance. None were to have been spared. 

Vader had all but pleaded for Padme's life. Given another chance, he had argued, she might be persuaded to align her loyalty with the Empire and thereby bring many of the budding rebels back in line. The Emperor had finally agreed to allow Amidala to be captured, if only to have the pleasure of forcing her to kneel before him.

So when the stormtroopers had mounted the final assault, Vader had given specific instructions to take Padme alive. It wasn't until he had been sifting through the rubble of the Naboo palace after the battle that he had realized his mistake. Padme had chosen to once again employ Sabe as her decoy and had succeeded in deceiving the stormtroopers. She had been killed, and Sabe had been captured in her place.

The shock of her loss had wounded him more gravely than the lava pit. Never, never had he wanted to hurt Padme, his angel. Vader had not been able to fathom why she had changed places with Sabe. She should have known he would keep her safe. Her death had been unnecessary and pointless, and that had hurt all the more.

It wasn't until Sabe's interrogation that he had finally understood. Under extreme duress, she had revealed that Padme had been pregnant, though too early yet for even herself to know, when Anakin had left her. Sabe had been able to reveal nothing more about the child. She had only known about the pregnancy because she had inadvertently overheard Obi-Wan comforting Padme. Those two had disappeared together after that night, and it had been almost a year before Padme had returned to join the resistance. Padme had not volunteered anything about where she had been, and Sabe had known better than to ask.

That revelation had made everything clear to Vader. Obi-Wan had poisoned his wife against him, had twisted her heart and mind, convinced her to give up their child and caused her death just as surely as if he had sliced through her with his lightsaber. For Padme had chosen to switch with Sabe precisely because she had anticipated his desire to capture her. She had chosen death over having to face the monster Obi-Wan had made him out to be. 

He had also known immediately that Obi-Wan intended to turn the child against him as well. That child was his future, their future, even if Padme could not be a part of it. Vader had not been able to tolerate the thought of his former, loathsome master in control of it for even one more day. He had become immediately obsessed with finding the child. 

But given an almost two year lead, Obi-Wan had proven most difficult to find. Vader had tirelessly searched every conceivable avenue. He had even returned here, to Tatooine, to confront Owen Lars, all to no avail. He had nearly lost hope when Obi-Wan had made a critical error in contacting Eyvind Schill, a once trusted pilot for the Jedi. 

Imperial Intelligence had suspected Eyvind of having smuggled Jedi children off of Coruscant just before the Jedi Temple had been destroyed. But with no concrete evidence, the Emperor had chosen to have him watched rather than executed, for a trusted servant was often used again. Of all the listening and tracking devices that had been concealed throughout the pilot's belongings, only one had proven its worth. That device had been implanted in his wife's beloved pet – a pet she had taken with them when Obi-Wan had summoned them to his hideout. 

That small error had allowed Vader to reclaim his boy. Although the Emperor had immediately taken possession of the child and continued to do his best to drive them apart, Vader knew the boy would come to him when he called. They were too much alike, kindred souls really, for anything to come between them. He would just have to wait until the boy was mature enough to fully understand the possibilities open to them if they combined their strength. Together, nothing could be denied them. 

Perhaps the sunrise did hold some wonder for his dark heart after all – wonder for the future, if not the past. Though now was not the time for such musing. There was a task at hand that required his attention.

Vader turned toward the officer who had been standing behind him for several minutes. "What is it, Admiral?"

Admiral Gjurn cleared his throat and managed to come to an even stiffer attention than he had been in before. "We are in position now, My Lord. The tracking beacon still indicates the rebels are on-course on this vector. If Tatooine is their destination, they should be arriving shortly."

"This is their destination, Admiral," Vader growled, impatiently. "Launch the TIEs and prepare a boarding party." He raised a finger and wagged it threateningly in the admiral's face. "I want Princess Organa alive, Admiral. Don't fail me."

"Yes, My Lord." The admiral gave a slight bow then quickly scurried back to the rear of the bridge, as much to escape Vader's presence as to coordinate the upcoming assault.

Vader returned his gaze to the view of Tatooine as he waited for the Rebel's arrival. The homing beacon his son had attached to the ship had allowed him to track the Rebels through several course headings. As expected, the first heading to Corellia had almost immediately been changed. His current command ship, the Devastator, had been too far out of position to intercept them, so Vader had ordered other vessels to lay in hiding at likely exit points along the Rebel's new vector. The orders at that time had been to simply observe the Rebel's activities for any indication they were attempting to contact their spy. 

The Rebels had not disappointed. The Avenger had detected them at Toprawa receiving a series of short burst, direct line of sight transmissions, undoubtedly the stolen Death Star plans. Assuming their next destination would be the Rebel base, the Avenger's captain had wisely let the Rebels leave the system unhindered and then had quickly relayed his report. 

The vector the Rebels had taken out of Toprawa had made no sense to Vader. There were no systems along that course that could serve as a suitable home to the Rebels. Gjurn had proposed they were likely attempting to rendezvous with their fleet somewhere in the dead space between systems, but that hadn't felt right either. Vader had ordered the Avenger to follow behind the Rebels and re-distributed his fleet to cover for that possibility, but all of his instincts had pointed him here. So here was where he had come.

'What could Tatooine possibly hold for the Rebels?'

The Force was giving him no more answers than the majestically serene orb itself. No matter, the Rebels would soon be here, and they would be unable to escape. The Death Star plans, the traitorous princess and all her knowledge would soon be in his hands.


	7. Chap 7 Into the Trap

Chapter 7 – Into the Trap

Captain Dosha sat back in his commander's chair as the Dawning Sun's crew prepared to revert to real space. All indications were that the mission was going smoothly, though he was still uncertain as to what that mission was. The message they had received from the contact on Toprawa had been so heavily encrypted that it had appeared to be merely static, but Princess Leia had quickly downloaded it into her R2 unit and had seemed more than satisfied. After wiping the message from the Dawning Sun's memory banks, she had ordered them to Tatooine. Now he would see what this phase had in store for them.

"Hyperspace counter timing out. Prepare to engage sub-light engines," the navigator called out to the pilot.

Abruptly, the colorful images of hyperspace gave way to starlines that in turn resolved themselves into single points of light.

"Sith!" the sensor officer exclaimed before Dosha could ask for a status. "Star Destroyer dead ahead, multiple targets incoming!"

"Shields up! Take evasive action and plot me a course out of here, now!" Dosha screamed as he flew up from his chair.

The bridge crew sprang to life as the first laser blasts from the TIEs assaulted their shields. The Corvette careened wildly through space, spitting laser fire back at those targets it could. At first it seemed as though they might survive long enough to manage an escape, but the small stings from the hits the TIEs scored were soon dwarfed by more powerful blasts from the aft.

"Captain, another Star Destroyer just entered the system," announced the sensors officer. 

"They're cutting off our exit vector, Captain. We're not going to make it out of the system," the navigator predicted direly. 

Dosha sank back into his chair at those last updates. He had not seen many battles, but he knew enough to know he was beaten.

"What should we do, Captain?"

Dosha's first instinct was to tell his crew to prepare to die, but discipline held him back. He had no doubt where this was going. The TIEs and the Star Destroyer to their aft were neatly maneuvering them toward the Star Destroyer waiting ahead. The shots from the TIEs seemed focused on areas intended to disable rather than destroy. They intended to capture his ship, and they would succeed. He had failed the Princess and the Rebel Alliance.

"Captain?" the navigator asked again when his first request went unanswered.

Dosha snapped out of his spell. "Hold them off for as long as you can and notify the crew to prepare to be boarded. We'll not go down without a fight," he stated firmly. "Lieutenant Frak, you have the bridge. I'll be with Princess Leia."

**

"Hurry, Your Highness. The shields won't hold out much longer," Dosha urged as he watched Leia load a datacard into her R2 unit. 

As if in response to his prediction, the sound of distant explosions began accompanying the ship's shudders as laser blasts began pounding directly into the hull. 

Leia didn't bother to reply to Dosha, but kept focused on her task. She had guessed what was happening the moment she had felt the first blast shake the ship. Arkus had tracked her somehow. She knew there would be no escape for her, but there might still be chance for her mission to succeed if she could get this droid to Obi-Wan.

She addressed Artoo. "There, those are the coordinates. Now you and See-Threepio take an escape pod out of here. You know your mission. I'm counting on you," she encouraged the little droid. 

He whistled bravely in reply before turning about and wheeling out of her quarters.

Just as Leia was turning her attention to Dosha, a more violent explosion rocked the ship, nearly knocking her down. Dosha reached out to steady her, and then paused to listen to a persistent deep hum and thrubbing that now filled the ship. 

"That's it," he glumly announced. "They've shut down the drive and main reactor. We're dead in space." 

"Now what?" Leia asked.

Dosha sighed as he appraised her determined look. He had no idea what she had been up to. "I wish you would reconsider taking that escape pod yourself."

"They'd have it in a tractor beam the moment they detected life signs," she argued back. "This is the only way." 

Reluctantly, Dosha agreed, though he was still baffled about what the Princess hoped to achieve. There was obviously no point arguing with her. "Here," he shoved a blaster into her hand. "Do you know how to handle one of these?"

"I can hold my own," Leia replied, almost offended.

Dosha gave her a curious but doubtful look. "We'll find out soon enough," he muttered and then started to lead her through the ship's corridors in search of a protected position from which to defend themselves.

**

Artoo gave Threepio a final shove into the cramped escape pod and forced his way in after him. He had no time to argue with his old companion. The laser blasts from the invading stormtroopers were getting much too close.

"What are you doing?! Have you gone mad?!" Threepio continued to protest as Artoo closed the airlock and worked to engage the pod's ejection pyros.

A deafening explosion filled the tiny space and threw the two occupants against each other. When Artoo recovered he quickly turned his visual scanner to the small viewport. From this vantage point he could see the small ship he had just left seemingly clutched in the metallic mandibles of the larger ship's docking tunnel. He moaned mournfully as he momentarily considered the fate of his mistress. Even Threepio was respectfully silent. 

But that moment was all Artoo had to spare. He immediately turned his attention to the controls for the feeble manuevering jets provided for the escape pod and began doing his best to bring their wild spinning under control.

Threepio regarded his efforts dubiously. "I do hope you know what you're doing." 

Artoo's warbled reply clearly communicated, "Me too."

**

Leia swallowed hard and clenched her jaw as she watched Dosha closely for the signal to open fire. They had found refuge among the cramped spaces and twisting pipes of one of the ship's maintenance areas. It was surely about the last place the stormtroopers would search, but they had both known it would be searched eventually. Now the careful footfalls of practiced intruders could be clearly heard approaching. 

Dosha leaned harder into his alcove and held up his left hand to tell the Princess to prepare. He bit his lip as he carefully envisioned the placement of footfalls he could only hear. When he was convinced that at least three of the stormtroopers had entered the corridor, he met Leia's eyes briefly and dropped his hand forcefully. 

They burst out of their respective hiding places in almost perfect unison and immediately opened fire. The first of the stormtroopers had been inspecting a suspicious recess near the opening of the corridor and was caught unprepared for their assault. He and his two companions were killed before they could return a single shot.

'She's a pretty good shot after all,' Dosha thought with some satisfaction as he refocused his aim on the stromtroopers now returning fire from the intersecting passageway.

They were horribly outnumbered, but since the stormtroopers were using stun settings, there was little point in surrendering. The intense fire fight continued for almost another minute with Leia and Dosha forced frequently back into their respective alcoves to dodge the more dispersed stun blasts from the stormtroopers. They managed to kill only two more invaders before first Leia and then Dosha was knocked unconscious.

**

Leia regained her senses as something her gave her head a rough shake.

"This one's coming around, sir," a harsh voice called out.

She groaned slightly as she struggled to bring the world back into focus. The tingling pain immobilizing her right arm and shoulder quickly brought back the memory of the stun blast that had grazed her. As the rest of her senses checked in she realized she was laying on the cold deck now with her hands bound before her. A few more fluttering blinks and the white blob dominating her field of view resolved itself into the threatening helmet of a stormtrooper stooping over her. Leia mustered a defiant glare for his benefit and resolutely erased all signs of discomfort from her face.

"Good. Get her up," an officer commanded.

The stormtrooper grabbed Leia tightly about her sore arm and hauled her roughly to her feet. He shoved her cruelly in the small of the back to get her moving before she could even gain solid footing, almost causing her to fall into the officer. The officer glared at her at first, disgusted, but then seemed to take greater interest. Grabbing Leia's face, he dragged her a bit closer and studied her intently. After a moment's inspection, he seemed to reach a satisfied conclusion.

"This one matches the description we were given. Take her directly to Lord Vader," he ordered.

'Vader?!' Leia thought. 'What happened to Arkus?' She wasn't sure how it mattered which Sith lord had captured her, but somehow she felt more uneasy at the thought of facing Vader. She and Arkus had established a rapport of sorts, or at least a drawing of battle lines. Vader she had only seen under formal circumstances during Senate meetings and negotiation sessions. She had never interacted with him directly, but Leia was certain he would not give her the same latitude that Arkus had. 

The officer simply shoved her aside and then gestured to other stormtroopers somewhere behind her. "You two, drag that other one along." 

'Dosha!' Leia thought and quickly turned to see what had become of her companion. He was restrained the same as she but was still unconsciousness. The two stormtroopers the officer had addressed were now each threading a hand under his bound arms and dragging him up between them. 

'He must have taken a more direct hit,' she realized. Otherwise, he seemed unharmed.

Her stormtrooper took note of her hesitation and roughly turned her back around. "Move," he barked as he shoved her forward.

Leia regained her dignity and walked proudly out into the larger passageway where the assembled stormtroopers arranged themselves about her. As the group marched toward the ship's main hatch, Leia's mind desperately searched for a cover story. It was pointless. Only the truth would adequately explain her presence on the ship, and the truth she would take with her to the grave.

The stormtroopers escorted her around one more turn then abruptly came to a halt and parted to present her to Darth Vader. Leia stiffened her posture and locked her gaze dead ahead with her focus aimed somewhere beyond the dark lord. Convinced she couldn't come up with a satisfactory offense, she was determined to remain silent and reveal nothing.

Vader studied her expectantly for a moment, then asked somewhat surprised, "No haughty indignation this time, Your Highness?"

The only reply he received to his taunt was a narrowing of her eyes and strengthening of her resolve.

"I'm pleased you have chosen not to waste my time with your excuses," he continued. "Now, I want to know what happened to the data you intercepted at Toprawa."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Leia snapped indignantly.

The second group of stormtroopers half-dragging Dosha arrived and interrupted their exchange. Leia couldn't help but cast a quick side-glance in Dosha's direction. He was semi-conscious now and doing his best to stand upright though spasms still shook his body. She felt a momentary sting of regret for the wrath she had brought down on him and his crew. Just a few days ago they had been complete innocents. Now none of them would live to see their families again.

Vader caught a wisp of her emotions through the Force and decided to let the Princess know just who she was dealing with now.

"I have no need for you." Vader stated coldly to Dosha. In one smooth motion he called a discarded blaster to his hand, raised it to Dosha's face, and fired point blank. 

The flash of light and sharp snap from the blaster, accompanied with the realization of what had just happened, startled Leia and shook her to her bones. She clamped her eyes shut tightly in horror and quickly turned her face away as she heard Dosha's body collapse. She had no desire for her last memory of him to be of the decapitated mess that now lay twitching on the deck.

Vader did not give her even a moment to recover, but roughly grabbed her jaw and twisted her head around and up so he was now staring directly into her eyes. Convinced his use of the crude blaster had yielded the desired effect, he decided to let her reflect on the horrors that awaited her.

"We will continue our discussion later, Your Highness," he snarled menacingly at her trembling face. He then released her from his grip and gestured forcefully down the passageway, "Take her away."

**

Vader turned his back on the Princess even before the stormtroopers had removed her from the corridor. He stepped over Dosha's remains and those of several other Rebels that still cluttered the passageway and moved to address the commander waiting for him.

"Your report," he demanded from his officer as he continued his deliberate march toward the Corvette's bridge.

"The Death Star plans are not in the main computer and no transmissions were detected," the officer accounted, almost fearfully. Disappointing Darth Vader was rumored to be the quickest path to early and unpleasant exit from the Imperial Navy.

"They must be here somewhere, Commander. I suggest you continue your search," Vader rumbled his advice weighted with the unspoken threat of the punishment for failure.

The commander took a breath to gather his courage then ventured, "There was an escape pod jettisoned during the fighting, My Lord. No life signs were detected, so it was assumed to be a malfunction. The Death Star plans could have been hidden in there."

Vader wheeled about and glared fiercely at the commander. Though the commander could not see Vader's eyes through the mask, he nevertheless felt mortally imperiled.

"Of course they were in the pod!" Vader thundered. "The orders were **nothing** was to be allowed to escape!" Vader paused, working his jaw fiercely to keep his temper under control. Taking his anger out on this officer would serve no purpose. It was the Admiral's incompetence that had allowed the Rebels to maintain custody of the stolen plans.

Vader continued when he had reigned in his frustrated anger. "I have no time for this. Inform the Avenger they are to send a detachment down to retrieve the plans. They will remain in system until they have completed this task. In the mean time, call in the local patrol cruisers to search all departing craft. I will not risk the Death Star plans falling into the hands of the Rebel military."

"As you wish, My Lord," the commander replied. "But what of the Corvette?"

"Destroy it. There is no official record of them coming to this system. The Corellian government will assume they are derelict, which is true enough. 

"See to it there are no mistakes this time, Commander. There have been quite enough blunders already," Vader concluded threateningly before departing in search of Gjurn. That incompetent would be permanently relieved of the burden of command. 


	8. Chap 8 Another Chance

Chapter 8 – Another Chance

"You have done well, Lord Vader," the Emperor commended. "Others can see to the retrieval of the stolen plans now. Proceed to the Death Star and use the Princess to learn what you can of the Rebel bases. Tarkin will make good use of the information." With that the Emperor cut the holovid connection Vader had used to give his report.

Mara Jade remained obediently quiet in her corner of the throne room. It was not often she was allowed a direct viewing of such secure transmissions, and she felt honored to have been allowed to stay for this one. 

The Emperor now turned his attention to her. "You see what mundane distractions clutter my day."

Mara was shocked in spite of herself. The tracking down of Rebel spies and stolen data hardly seemed mundane to her. 'But no,' she corrected herself. 'It was not the content of the report that the Emperor found mundane. It was the fact that a report had to be filed at all.'

"Very good, My Dear. You understand," the Emperor complimented her on her insight as he gleaned her thoughts from their Force connection. "In time you will perform these errands for me with more style and finesse than Lord Vader can manage, and there will be no need for you to resort to such primitive means to keep me apprised of events."

Mara felt a surge of pride at her master's reference to her unique ability to mentally communicate with him from even the greatest of distances. However, she was confused somewhat by his slight of Darth Vader's skills, for that Sith lord was the Emperor's chosen second and had served him well in establishing the Empire. Perhaps Vader's usefulness had been outlived, or, more likely, he was growing too ambitious and needed his wings clipped. 

Mara was well aware she was no where near as powerful in the Force as Vader was, but she would consider herself equal to him in many other areas, maybe even superior in a few. Could the Emperor intend for him to be among her targets? Maybe even intend for her to eventually take Vader's place? 

The first question posed a fascinating possibility, but the second held no appeal for her. She much preferred the anonymity of her promised position as an advanced intelligence operative and assassin. That second duty, while unpleasant in description, did not bother Mara in the least, particularly when she considered the targets would all be traitors seeking to usurp her master's leadership. Gathering intelligence and eliminating problems – this was where her talents lay. Better to leave bureaucratic hassles to those with more patience and tact and the military commanding to those more inclined to delegate responsibility. She was content to serve in her critical, if unglorified, position.

"You may go now. I have nothing further to teach you today." The Emperor dismissed her with a wave of his hand.

"Yes, Master," Mara replied respectfully. She quickly gathered the two remotes she had been sparring with under his instructive supervision and departed through the secret door behind the throne.

**

The Emperor watched Mara's movements and exit with interest. Mara Jade, his second experiment, was in many ways more dangerous than either Skywalker was. Though not as powerful as they, her strength in the Force was considerable, certainly enough to cause problems should she realize her full potential and turn it against him. And she was not so easily manipulated. Her independence and strong sense of self-reliance would have made her unacceptable if it were not for her fierce loyalty. 

He had found her shortly after concluding he would never be able take over the younger Skywalker. Looking into the little girl's fearful but defiant eyes, Palpatine had realized she might be the solution to his problem with mortality. His scientists were having no success in generating an acceptable host for him through cloning – for some reason the midichlorians did not survive the process – so he would need a natural body to occupy. This girl and the young Skywalker could give him a powerful host indeed.

So the Emperor had called to her, and Mara had come. Drawn by the natural lure of a student to a Force master and by the curiosity about one that could speak directly to her thoughts, she had been enticed away from her terrified parents. He had slowly worked to erase the memories of her past and had begun teaching her in neutral uses of the Force, neither light nor dark. The lack of commitment to either side continued to significantly stunt her potential but made her far less a risk. The disadvantage in power was more than compensated for by her masterful skill in using all classes of weapons in all modes of combat.

So now his second experiment was all but ready for her true role. Beautiful but lethal, powerful yet graceful, loyal without fault, Mara promised to serve as an exceptional source and defender for the child that would be him. She would also serve as insurance to keep Arkus in line for the few years that boy would control the Empire.

'Ah yes, Arkus,' the Emperor mused. It was time to check on the boy again. Reaching out through the Force, he sought after his other student. It wasn't difficult to find him. Arkus never tried to hide, and for the past several days he couldn't have any way, so powerful was his anger and frustration. 

'Good,' the Emperor thought as he sensed the boy's aggressive rage. 'He is still furious over the Princess. Time to throw him a bone, and let him turn that aggression on Vader.'

But the Emperor delayed a moment more before summoning Arkus to ensure Mara was well clear of the hidden passageway behind the throne room. It was too early yet for them to discover each other's true existence. That introduction would be saved for a later date. 

The moment passed and Mara was well gone.

~Come to me, My Young Apprentice,~ he commanded.

**

Arkus focused his rage and drew deep into the Force to add power and speed to his movements. His efforts were rewarded with the satisfying impact of his spinning kick to his opponent's chest. The blow sent the battle droid flying into the wall across the room where it then settled into heap on the floor. That left only two for him deal with. The exercise was as good as over.

He had started with five of the droids programmed to maximum skill and endurance levels to ensure a challenging workout. Five sentients twice his size would have been nothing, but these droids felt no pain, knew no fear. And of course there was the fact that droid's intentions could not be read through the Force. Arkus was limited to his finely honed danger sense to give him warnings of their movements.

That sense flared again as the droid behind him tried to take advantage of his somewhat off-balance position. But Arkus simply continued his spin, drawing his leg back underneath himself and ducking to avoid the hit the droid had aimed at him. Planting his feet firmly, Arkus then drove his shoulder hard into the droid's abdomen and neatly flipped it over his back. The droid landed with a resounding thud, but quickly rolled out of Arkus' reach.

Arkus had chosen to use no weapons and no protective body armor for this exercise. He wanted the primitive pleasure of pure hand-to-hand combat – the release of hate-driven, aggressive energies that could only be obtained by manually abusing the opponent. Facing five of the droids under these conditions guaranteed that they would score at least some hits on him and promised to leave him exhausted at the end of their contest.

The other remaining droid moved in now to give its companion time to get setup for another assault. Arkus was prepared, though, and skillfully dodged the attack. He grabbed the droid's overextended arm and forcefully twisted it behind its back. Quickly reaching a hand around the droid's head, he gave it a cruel yank and snapped its simulated neck, rendering this droid incapacitated.

The last droid charged then. Arkus tossed the droid carcass in his hands free of his fighting zone and vaulted over the other. The rushing droid halted its progress to watch Arkus' graceful mid-air, twisting somersault with calculating assessment, but was still unprepared for the brutal assault that ensued the second Arkus landed. A bare ten seconds later it was over.

Arkus rubbed the back of his hand across his nose to wipe away the trickle of blood that had started from one of the hits he'd received. He was indeed physically exhausted, but the fight had done little to relieve his pent-up frustration. He roared in a burst of fury and gave the crumpled droid at his feet one last solid kick.

It was of no use. Only by addressing the source of his frustration would he find relief, and that source was likely halfway across the galaxy by now. He pulled at his short hair, as if that action would succeed in the getting the Princess out of his mind, and then settled to floor to try to clear his thoughts.

~Come to me, My Young Apprentice.~

The chilling sense of his master's commanding presence did more to still Arkus's emotions than all his efforts combined. His anger and frustration quickly dissipated against the respectful obedience his master demanded of him. Such as it had always been.

He wondered briefly if this summons was at last the response to his actions against Isard. He didn't doubt the Emperor had been aware of at least most of the events of that evening, and he had taken the silence up to this point as an approval of his intervention. If the conniving little wench had taken this long to spin a story that would call his actions into question, Arkus had no doubt that he could twist it back on her, though the thought of having to devote his energies to this deeply annoyed him.

Still, a promised audience with the Emperor did much to improve his overall outlook. Perhaps he could plead his case on the Princess one last time. But he could not approach his master in this condition. He would grab a quick shower and fresh clothes first.

~I must prepare, My Master,~ he replied.

**

The Emperor watched his young apprentice approach the throne. He hadn't granted him an audience since dismissing him from his duties tracking the Princess. Perhaps he should have reprimanded the boy for disobeying his orders to leave the Rebels to others, but Arkus' actions had prevented Isard from making a potentially serious error and taught her a well deserved lesson about affecting unsanctioned operations in the process. He wanted the boy to intervene in such cases, especially now while it was so crucial for Arkus to build respect in the Empire's command structure. Arkus had handled it well and done nothing further on the matter of the Princess, so the Emperor had decided to once again be the lenient and understanding master the boy had come to worship.

Now Arkus was guarding his thoughts. On the surface, the boy was trying to hide his dread over dealing with Isard's complaints, but on a deeper level, trying harder to disguise his desire to reopen the subject of his princess. The Emperor assessed Arkus' efforts at containing his emotions as the boy settled into his respectful kneeling position before him. Clearly Arkus wanted another opportunity at handling the Rebel princess, but was unsure of how to broach the subject. The Emperor let him mentally squirm a few moments more before opening a dialog.

"It seems your wayward princess has been found," he stated bluntly. 

Arkus was simultaneously relieved and disturbed. Relieved that this discussion would not revolve around Isard and that the Emperor had introduced the subject of the Princess, thereby saving him the awkward initiative. More relieved that his tracking beacon had worked, and that his actions had not resulted in the Princess escaping. But he was anxious about the circumstances under which events had unfolded. Perhaps the Rebel base had been located and was currently under attack. Then again, perhaps nothing had been gained, and he was here now to receive his punishment for delaying Tarkin's investigation and disrupting Isard's operation. Neither possibility boded well for the Princess, he reflected.

"Was Lord Vader able to retrieve the Death Star plans and locate the Rebel base?" Arkus asked carefully when it became apparent that the Emperor was not going to continue.

"No to both, as a matter of fact," the Emperor answered simply. He offered nothing more, but waited to see where Arkus would take this. 

"I would not have failed you," Arkus replied tersely, working to control his contempt. Vader had apparently succeeded in ruining everything he had setup, and now both he and the Princess would suffer for it. 

"Perhaps, perhaps not," the Emperor taunted him. "But Lord Vader has not truly failed. He did succeed in breaking the Rebel's spy chain at Toprawa and delivering a message to those residents that will dissuade others from harboring this scum. Now that the Death Star is nearly operational, retrieving the stolen plans is secondary to locating the Rebel base, and for that he now has your princess."

Arkus mentally twitched at the open provocation, but offered no protest. It was clear to the Emperor now that Arkus was not going to ask directly after his pet, but was resigned to whatever fate was assigned her. Satisfied with the boy's acceptance of the situation, the Emperor now offered the possibility of an alternative.

"You still feel she will be able to resist interrogation?" the Emperor pretended to surmise from Arkus' discomfort.

Arkus brightened at that opening. If he handled this right, there might still be a chance for this matter to be turned back over to him. 

"Very likely," Arkus began cautiously. "It certainly would have been better had she simply been allowed to lead us to the Rebels." 

The Emperor appeared to consider his words. "Hmm. Perhaps you could offer some insight on the character of this princess that would assist in the process…"

Arkus held his hopeful reaction in check. He would not ruin this chance by appearing too eager.

The Emperor feigned reaching a conclusion. "Darth Vader is transferring the Princess to the Death Star. If nothing else, observing the operations of the battle station under Tarkin's command will be a valuable experience for you. Go. I will see that a rendezvous point is arranged for you."

"Yes, Master. I will not disappoint you," Arkus promised firmly and quickly left the throne room to prepare for his journey.

The Emperor held his stoic expression until Arkus was gone, releasing it finally with a gratified cackle.


	9. Chap 9 Call to Duty

Chapter 9 – Call to Duty

"We're doomed," Threepio moaned forlornly as he continued to plod along through the shifting sand. "No one will ever find us here. Thanks to you we'll soon be nothing more than sandlogged scrap for some scavenger to trip over. I tell you we would have been better off taking our chances with the Imperials."

Artoo didn't understand why Threepio continued to complain and insult him. All things considered he thought he'd done remarkably well maneuvering the little escape pod. He was even relatively certain they had landed within a reasonable distance of the target coordinates Princess Leia had given him. Of course, the only mode of transportation currently available to them was their own locomotion, and Threepio seemed to be moving slower with each of his steps.

"I must rest. My joints are almost frozen," Threepio whined with exaggerated exhaustion.

Artoo stopped with his companion and gave him an assessing scan. They had been traversing the inhospitable terrain of this desert planet for nearly a day now. Threepio's design was more susceptible to dust contamination and thermal overloads than was his own, and there was no doubt that some of his complaints were valid. Threepio would fail before him. 

"I know what you're thinking, you stunted barrel of junk. You were made for menial tasks and built to withstand these harsh environments, but I was never intended to be subjected such abuse. I should be coordinating diplomatic meetings for galactic dignitaries, not stuck with some overgrown tool kit on…"

Artoo cut him off with an impatient electronic blat and then launched into yet another explanation of why it was so important for them to keep moving.

Threepio had heard quite enough of it already and waved a stiffened arm insultingly at Artoo. "I'm tired of hearing about this mission you keep blathering on about. If it's so important then just leave me here. It's the height of the afternoon. I'm **not** going any further in this heat."

Artoo hesitated for a moment. He did not need the other droid to complete his mission, but he was still loath to abandon him here. He was considering one more attempt at persuading Threepio to continue, when the other droid took offense at his obvious consideration of the offer.

"Go on you insensitive lug. I don't need **you**," Threepio scoffed and turned his back on him.

Artoo blew a raspberry back at Threepio and was turning to leave when his long-range scanner picked up an approaching vehicle. He studied it for a moment to confirm it was heading on a near intercept coarse with them then started whistling excitedly to his companion.

"Oh, what is it now?" Threepio started, immensely annoyed until his processor registered what the little droid was trying to tell him. "A transport?!" he asked excitedly now. "Where?" 

Artoo didn't need to reply for now a landspeeder was just visible coming over the horizon. New hope for salvation sprang forth in Threepio's circuits. He began jumping and waving excitedly at the driver, not caring at this moment who or what that driver may be. "Over here, over here," he yelled repeatedly.

**

Obi-Wan sped through the desert dunes in his dilapidated X-34 landspeeder, his mind intently searching for any sign of incongruities among the sparse life. He reflected briefly that such focus on the living Force would have made his old master quite proud of him. A pity, though, that it had taken all these years of isolation on this desert world for him to finally understand what Qui-Gon had felt so strongly about. Quite tragic that had understanding come earlier for him some of the calamities of the past decades might have been avoided.

However, those events were in the past, and too much attention paid to the past could be just as blinding as focusing too closely on the future. Both tended to blur understanding of the here and now into something more consistent with what was expected rather than what was actually occurring. Obi-Wan was convinced now that this was what had allowed Palpatine to operate so closely to the Jedi without detection until it was too late – what had allowed Anakin's degeneration to progress without his knowledge.

Now the living Force sang out to Obi-Wan more clearly than the songbirds of Alderaan's morning. It painted for him intricate visions of how every life and each event in those lives interwove to form the whole. It detailed for him how one, small, seemingly insignificant occurrence could permanently alter the course of all things to come. Visions from Obi-Wan's regular meditations had communicated that one such event had recently transpired and started a ripple in the Force so miniscule in its beginning as to be nearly undetectable. But as he had learned, such ripples could grow to devastating proportions given the proper circumstances. This one had already grown enough to touch him on this remote planet.

The Force had warned him this morning of Vader's arrival, giving the Jedi time to hide his presence, and had allowed him glimpses of the brief battle that had ensued in the skies above Tatooine. The Imperials had been easily victorious, but Obi-Wan had sensed a wave of angered frustration from Vader. Not all of the Dark Lord's objectives had been achieved. 

The source of Vader's frustration had come to Obi-Wan immediately in an unsolicited vision of a small streak of light burning through the sky to crash somewhere well beyond the horizon of his humble abode. Another small event in the lives of the inhabitants here, but one that Obi-Wan recognized as something more. Now, with his landspeeder's scanners indicating objects up ahead, he realized that his search for the source of his vision was nearly complete.

Obi-Wan eased back on the throttle and adjusted his course slightly to put him on an intercept course with the objects he now knew to be droids. Pulling up to them, he barely had time to cut his engines before the protocol droid scrambled awkwardly up to the side of the vehicle to greet him. The astromech droid hung back though, seemingly much more hesitant to trust a stranger. 

"Oh, thank the maker you've found us sir! We're saved!" the protocol droid proclaimed joyously.

"Easy friend," Obi-Wan tried to calm it as he climbed stiffly out of the landspeeder. "Why don't you start by telling me who you are and how you came to be stranded out here?" 

"Oh, gracious, this heat has caused me to completely forget my manners." The golden droid straightened itself formally and began again in a much calmer voice, "I am C-3PO, human cyborg, relations, and this is my counterpart, R2-D2. We have had the most dreadful experience with invading Imperial soldiers…"

Artoo whistled a sharp warning that quickly cut-off Threepio's loose voice synthesizer.

Threepio wheeled about at the rude interruption to rebuke Artoo. "What do you mean, cutting me off like that?" he demanded.

Artoo's short electronic blurt communicated his wariness of giving a stranger so much information.

Threepio seemed shocked. What possibly could they have to fear from such an old and obviously humble human? "Well, really! If you want any help at all with this imagined mission of yours, you will have to trust somebody eventually. I for one am not going to pass up the only assistance we've had offered."

"What mission would that be?" Obi-Wan calmly interjected as he lowered himself to the shorter droid's level. 

Artoo studied the old man carefully. His visual scanners took in the tattered cloak and robes he wore, so closely resembling the old-style Jedi dress. The man did match the general description included on the datacard, and there was certainly no appearance of a threat from his gentle, inquisitive eyes. Threepio was right. He would have to trust someone eventually, and this human seemed to be his best and only choice. Artoo issued a cautious stream of hopeful, but otherwise unintelligible beeps.

Obi-Wan looked expectantly to Threepio.

Threepio, though taken aback by the man's sudden shift in interest to Artoo, obediently switched into the role of interpreter. "He says he's looking for an Obi-Wan Kenobi, a resident of these parts."

Obi-Wan turned his gaze reflectively back to Artoo, a slight frown of curious interest creasing his forehead. "I am Obi-Wan, little one, though it has been some time since I have gone by that name." 

Artoo whistled respectfully in reply, rolled slightly forward and issued another set of beeps.

"He says he has a message for you from his mistress," Threepio provided.

"Hmmm, very interesting." Obi-Wan studied Artoo intently for a moment, then brightened. "I wonder what bit of news you bring me, but perhaps we should return to my home for this. There are others who might be looking for you."

Threepio jumped at the invitation, an image of a hot, steaming oil bath springing forth in his mind, "Oh yes, sir! We really shouldn't be left out in this environment a moment longer."

Obi-Wan gazed up at Threepio and wondered briefly what particular deed he had perpetrated to be deserving of this sort of punishment. Brushing aside his amused annoyance, he quickly gestured to both droids, "Come along then. Let's get you in the landspeeder."

**

Obi-Wan hid his spreading grin from the droids as he rummaged through his containers in search of something to placate Threepio. That droid was sitting dejectedly on the workbench, still disappointed by the lack of any real droid amenities, while the other waited patiently in the living area. He knew the memory wipe both droids had received when they had first been given over to Bail Organa prevented them from recognizing him, but Obi-Wan certainly remembered them. It seemed the memory wipe and the passage of time had done little to improve Threepio's outlook.

Obi-Wan emerged from his supply area with a small oil spray can and what limited cleaning tools he had available. "This should help," he graciously offered Threepio. "I'm afraid I don't have much experience maintaining droids, so you'll have to manage by yourself." 

Threepio slumped further but accepted the offered materials with what gratitude he could muster. "Well, I suppose it will have to do."

Convinced he now had Threepio occupied for a time, Obi-Wan turned his attention to Artoo as he sat down in his chair. "Now my little friend, what is this message you have for me?"

The little droid adjusted his position to properly aim his projector at the small table in front of the chair and dutifully began playing the message he had been instructed to deliver. The image flickered briefly and then resolved itself into a somewhat disheveled looking young woman Obi-Wan immediately knew to be Leia Organa. 

She began formally, "General Kenobi, years ago you served my father in the Clone Wars. Now he begs you to help him in his struggle against the Empire.

"I regret that I am unable to present my father's request to you in person. But my ship has fallen under attack, and I'm afraid my mission to meet with you has failed."

A glimmer of regret and concern crossed the young woman's face, but that was quickly replaced with a look of strong determination reflecting her indomitable spirit as she continued.

"I have placed information vital to the survival of the Rebellion into the memory systems of this R2 unit. My father will know how to retrieve it. You must see this droid delivered safely to him on Alderaan.

"This is our most desperate hour. Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope," she concluded with an earnest plea. Her image then dissolved with a burst of static as Leia hurriedly leaned over the droid to end the recording.

Obi-Wan leaned back in his chair when the hologram disappeared and began pulling absently at his beard as he pondered the significance of the message. That Bail Organa's adopted daughter was now likely in Vader's hands was the most alarming aspect. Though the message gave no indication that her Jedi ancestry had been discovered, he doubted Bail would have sent her here like this for anything less. There was something else there too, Obi-Wan could sense it, but it was too elusive for him to grasp.

The Jedi sighed in acceptance of the limited knowledge he had of Leia's circumstances. He knew there was nothing he could do to help her now in any case. Her fate was in the hands in Force.

But he could do something about the information Artoo contained. Shifting his gaze back to the droid, Obi-Wan began to consider what completing that mission would require. He might be getting a little too old for this sort of thing, but there was no one else to bear the burden of the responsibility. Leia's last words rang in his ears again as if to emphasize the point.

Artoo whistled hopefully to Obi-Wan.

The Jedi responded with a reassuring smile. Of course he would take up the mission. It was his calling through the Force.

"Well, it looks as though we have a trip to prepare for," he told the little droid. "Let's see what we can find around here that might buy us a transport out of Mos Eisley." 


	10. Chap 10 Father and Son

Chapter 10 – Father and Son

"She knows the location of the Rebel base, but it may take some time to extract the information," Vader concluded his briefing to Tarkin. Though the Dark Lord respected the man, he did not enjoy having to appear to answer to him. It was simply a necessity at times to give Tarkin and the other Moffs the illusion of power and control to feed their egos and keep them happily serving the Emperor. 

Tarkin's particular talents were exceedingly useful in controlling dissidents and directing military operations, which granted him a little more latitude. Still, his ambitions were quickly growing close to exceeding his value. Vader was here at the Emperor's command more to oversee Tarkin as he played with his new toy than he was to provide assistance. Any indication that Tarkin intended to use the Death Star in a bid to overthrow the Emperor and he would quickly learn who was in charge.

Tarkin frowned irritably at Lord Vader's last words. "I want the location of that base by the time this station is operational. Use whatever methods necessary."

Tarkin ended his reply abruptly to acknowledge a chime from the communicator station imbedded in his desk. "Yes, what is it?" he demanded.

"Starfighter of unknown classification approaching, sir. He is transmitting one the Emperor's personal codes," a voice replied.

Tarkin looked back up to Vader and watched for his reaction with interest. "It appears a colleague of yours is arriving."

Vader was taken somewhat off-guard and quickly reached out with the Force to verify the suspected identity of the guest. The feeling of resonating dark power he received in response provided the confirmation and stirred his own energies into a whirl of agitated excitement.

Tarkin noted Vader's curious pause and chose to carefully prod for more information. "Darth Arkus, I believe. The Emperor informed me he would be joining us just before you arrived. Some sort of training exercise for him." 

"Have him land in my docking bay," Vader snapped, giving no indication of having heard Tarkin. "I will greet him myself."

"As you wish," Tarkin replied nonchalantly. "Just keep him out of my way."

**

Arkus casually surveyed the relatively small docking bay in which he had landed as he methodically completed the powerdown sequence for his starfighter. He had studied the schematics for the Death Star and had therefore known what to expect, but he was still impressed by its mammoth proportions. It seemed Tarkin had finally managed to build a structure large enough to compete with his overblown sense of importance. 

The bay was nearly empty save for a Lamda class shuttle, which had likely served as Darth Vader's transportation from the Devastator. There was no one about in the bay, and no one posted at the surrounding duty stations. That was hardly surprising to Arkus given the private entrances that had been arranged for him in the past. He did, however, sense Darth Vader waiting for him in the pilot's ready room just off of the bay. Arkus sighed in exasperation. He was in no mood to deal with Vader. 

Having intentionally dragged out the powerdown sequence, Arkus finally popped the egress hatch and climbed agilely down from the cockpit. His dark mood lightened somewhat as he reviewed the sleek and lethal looking lines of his fighter, his soul drinking in its black coldness and cool flow. It was basically a snub-nose design with the cockpit located well forward in the body to allow superior visual scanning. The unique wing assembly flowed out of the main body along the sides of the vehicle just aft of the cockpit and curved around above the fuselage to cover it in a continuous outer shell. At three points, to either side and at the top, the assembly swept gracefully forward past the cockpit as it tapered off to terminate in deadly accurate laser cannons. Resting now on the deck upon its landing gear, the ship gave the impression of a vicious bird of prey in focused search of its meal.

There was nothing in the Imperial fleet, not even his father's TIE Advanced prototype, that could match it. Arkus took great pride in that and even more satisfaction in the considerable freedom his ship's unique design gave him. He would never be restricted by the ridiculous landing sequence and launch racks the lesser pilots of the Empire had to endure. Arkus sneered in disgust as he considered his father's choice to continue to utilize that system for his own personal fighter, but then Vader spent very little time in his fighter these days. That Sith now seemed more content to stand on the bridge of a Star Destroyer and be ferried about by these shuttles like the useless bureaucrat he had become. That life was not for Arkus.

Giving his fighter another appreciative review, Arkus briefly considered performing a post-flight inspection to keep Vader waiting even longer. It was, after all, still a new ship undergoing final testing. But he then decided that it would be best to get the encounter over as quickly as possible. Taking only a moment to retrieve his travel case from the small cargo compartment, Arkus then headed directly for ready room.

Vader was there off to the side of the pilot's lockers, hands on his belt, seeming to assess him as he entered the room. Arkus cast him a coldly indifferent look and offered only a nod of acknowledgement by way of greeting. When no response was forthcoming, Arkus turned his attention to the lockers and opened one at random.

"I was not informed you would be joining me," Vader started, dismissing the boy's initial slight.

Arkus ignored the comment and proceeded to set down his travel case and peel off his flight suit as though Vader was not there. 

Vader sighed mentally to himself in frustration. This was how conversations with the boy always started. He was running out patience for it, though. The Emperor had sent Arkus here for a reason, and he intended to find out what it was.

"It would be wise for you to show some respect," Vader warned to probe for a response. 

"What would you have me do? Kneel before you?" Arkus scoffed in reply, but kept his gaze focused forward.

Vader suppressed the surge of boiling anger that would have instantly punished any other creature foolish enough to mock him so. It was the Emperor that had so carefully cultivated this disrespect toward him. Vader endured it only because it was necessary to maintain the delicate balance that allowed the three of them to co-exist. Vader wanted Arkus, needed Arkus, to be his ally, but for him to be so while Arkus was young and defenseless would have meant the boy's death. So Vader had been forced to allow the boy's existence and training to proceed according to the Emperor's designs. 

But now Arkus was no longer a helpless child, and the increasing boldness he exhibited in his taunts required a lesson to be taught. Not a lesson of painful punishment, Vader knew instinctively, for that would only serve to drive the boy further away. This situation called for enlightenment and required a rational conversation. Vader cleared his mind of emotions and prepared for what could be the first step in opening his son's eyes to the true circumstances surrounding him. It was time the boy grew up.

"I have always treated you like an equal," Vader calmly pointed out.

"You treat Tarkin like an equal," Arkus sneered, rejecting Vader's peace offering. 

"I allow Tarkin to feel as though we are comrades only to control him. You should learn to recognize such manipulations," Vader countered.

Arkus felt the sting of the insinuation in Vader's tone and spun around to confront him. "What do you mean?" he demanded, his eyes narrowing intensely. 

"Only that the Emperor would initiate conflicts between us just to amuse himself."

Arkus paused at the implication of those words, more in surprise at Vader's open questioning of the Emperor's motives than to give the idea any real consideration. "You don't know what you're talking about," he retorted coldly.

"Don't I? Then why are you here?" Vader pressed.

Arkus bit back the initial, insulting response that sprang to his mind, hesitant to escalate this verbal sparring while his lightsaber was on the locker shelf and out of his immediate reach. However, he was also unwilling to capitulate to Vader's desire to pursue this line of misguided thought by offering a truthful response. So instead he used the answer provided by the Emperor and replied with an insolent smirk, "I'm here to observe the operations of this battle station."

"That is the excuse the Emperor gave Tarkin. Now, answer for yourself," Vader commanded forcefully, raising his voice to further provoke the boy.

This time Arkus was unable to restrain the rising defensive anger at Vader's jab. "I'm here because you bungled this simple operation!" he spat out, releasing his pent up frustrations from the last several days and bracing himself for the worst of Vader's temper. When there was no immediate response, Arkus began to wonder just what he had revealed in his momentary indulgence of his anger.

Vader was stunned by the forcefulness of the boy's outburst. He had surmised the gist of the Emperor's scheming here - to toy with Arkus by first dangling a much anticipated assignment in front of him, only to hand it over to himself, one the boy despised. He had also guessed that Arkus had been sent here to further aggravate the situation. But there was much more than that layered deep within the emotions behind Arkus' resentful response. The boy was taking this much more personally than could be justified by the obvious circumstances.

"Nothing has been bungled," Vader replied calmly, almost cautiously as he prodded for more insight. "The Death Star plans will be secured from Tatooine, and the Rebel princess has been captured for interrogation."

"And has your interrogation revealed anything?" Arkus asked bitterly.

"Not yet," Vader conceded. "But I've only begun the process with her. All beings break eventually," he said, but then completed the thought in his mind as understanding began to dawn, 'or crack from the strain.' 

"You'll get nothing from her. You've already destroyed the best chance of finding that base," Arkus argued vehemently, trying to hide his discomfort with Vader's plans.

Vader was not fooled by Arkus' weak attempt to cover his reaction. It was the girl Arkus wanted. The Emperor knew it and was using her to enrage Arkus and worsen the relationship between father and son. This was a delicate situation indeed. Vader took a moment to consider his options before continuing with what he believed to be the best possible course.

"I suspect you may be correct on your first point," Vader began, pleased by the surprised reaction in Arkus' eyes. "But there are alternative means to extract information. Perhaps you should accompany me for the next session to better assess her, then we can decide together how best to proceed from there," he offered. 

Arkus only nodded suspiciously in agreement.

Vader smiled to himself. Suspicious or not, he had managed to stun the boy into silence by giving him the closest thing possible to what he wanted. This was an excellent first step toward a new relationship between them. Vader knew that this was all that could be gained out of this exchange. 

"Good. We will begin immediately after Tarkin's staff briefing," Vader concluded, noting the relief in the boy's emotions that this encounter was ending quickly. Now he would give his son something to consider until their next discussion. "In the mean time, I suggest you take some time to consider what circumstances brought you to this point, and who controlled them," Vader urged before leaving Arkus with his thoughts.

***

Arkus let himself collapse to the bench and buried his face in his hands after Vader left. He was exhausted from the arduous journey in his small fighter – a journey that had become pure hell when the sensations of the Princess's torture had assaulted him through the Force. Being forced to face Vader, her tormenter, so soon after that experience had tested his control to the breaking point. Now he realized that in his angered frustration he had somehow managed to give Vader exactly what he had wanted, though precisely what that had been was still unclear.

Vader had been baiting him, Arkus knew, provoking him with questions meant to reinforce his initial accusation against the Emperor's motives. That had really been nothing new. Vader had been trying for years to entice him away from the true master. However, there was one question he could not get out of his mind. What *was* he doing here? Such a simple question that had initiated a torrent of possible answers in the back of his mind and now called into question the rationale behind his every decision regarding this princess. What circumstances had brought him to this point, indeed?

But this was not something Arkus wished to explore at this time and certainly not on Vader's terms. He had an opportunity now, while Vader was busy with Tarkin, to attempt reasoning with the Princess one last time. He would take advantage of it.


	11. Chap 11 A Question of Motives

Chapter 11 – A Question of Motives

Arkus paused outside the door to the Princess's cell as he considered just what he was doing. This could not be a private discussion between them like the one he had arranged on Imperial Center. She was a prisoner now, and any interruption in the signal from the sensors in her cell would attract more attention than he could control quietly. Still, he had risked interfering with the audio feed and convinced the officer at the control console that this minor annoyance was nothing worth reporting. He had also left that man with the impression that this was an approved visit with no need for additional clearances or escorts. That should give the Princess and him at least a degree of privacy.

Arkus knew he didn't have much time before Vader would be here to continue the interrogation, and he also knew he had no chance of convincing the Princess to not resist in that short time. He might just weaken her resolve, though, and create enough doubt to cause her to slip before the session grew too intense. He wasn't sure he could tolerate watching her suffer like that in person considering the effect the first session had had on him while he was dozens of light years away. Determined to prevent a reoccurrence of that misery, he focused his energies and entered the cell.

The Princess had been dozing, likely trying to regain some strength, when Arkus' entrance disturbed her. While she stirred and moved to upright herself, Arkus noted she appeared considerably different than when he had last seen her. The formal gown was gone, replaced with a worn and stained jumpsuit that seemed quite inappropriate for her. Also, her hair was no longer neatly arranged in the braids, but gathered into a disheveled and unflattering bun at the back of her head. He noted with some relief, however, that she appeared physically unharmed, and the glaring look she was now fixing on him left no doubt that her spirits were still healthy as well.

"Don't give me that look," Arkus chided her mockingly, easily slipping back into their game. "I warned you this would happen."

"You came all this way just to point that out?" she sassed back at him with a disbelieving look.

Knowing the mask again prevented her from reading any emotion from his expression, Arkus allowed himself to smile in admiration of her biting sarcasm in the face of a threat. "Not quite," he responded, adding just a hint of amusement in his voice to indicate his willingness to play. "I was simply in the sector and decided to see if, given your new circumstances, you might have reconsidered my offer."

"And here I thought you'd come to rescue me," she quipped with a feigned offended expression to clearly communicate her continued rejection of that so-called offer.

Arkus laughed outright at the retort, but quickly turned his voice more scolding for her stubbornness. "You really should consider your situation more seriously. Lord Vader will be here any moment to continue his discussion with you. There is nothing I can do to prevent it even if I was inclined to do so. You've earned this punishment."

"I'm pleased to hear you are so concerned for me," she bit back sourly, in part to hide her dread of the coming torture. Somehow, Leia had expected Arkus' arrival would mean an end to the traditional Imperial questioning techniques, but now it seemed that instead she would be pitted against two Sith lords. That thought caused a slight waver in the strength of her confidence.

Arkus sensed the barest weakening of her resolve and quickly moved to build on it. "Such bravado," he commended mockingly. "Tell me, why do you insist on wasting yourself like this? Do you really think you can resist Vader's interrogation when so many others have broken? And what difference would it make anyway?" he questioned, projecting just a hint of doubt into her emotions. "The Emperor continues to expand his power despite the best efforts of those who dare to oppose him. I understand he's even dissolved the Senate now. There is nothing your pitiful Rebellion can do to reverse this progress."

"The more Palpatine exerts his power, the more systems will stand against him. In time you won't consider the Rebellion so pitiful," Leia challenged, shoving away her doubts.

"If more systems rise against him then they will be crushed along with the rest of the fools," he coldly countered. "Don't you realize what this station is capable of?" he continued, projecting hopelessness now. "Do you really think Tarkin will show any restraint in using it? By protecting the Rebels, you're only dooming more to die with them."

Leia glared at him with a hardened expression, refusing to be affected by his arguments.

Unable to keep his patience with her foolishness any longer, Arkus focused the strength of his own desire into his words and urged her forcefully. "Give up the Rebel base, let them be destroyed now while only a few will die, then begin building upon this Empire with me!"

"Never!" she spat hatefully back at him.

Arkus felt a spark of excitement from the strength of her emotion. The feeling seemed to resonate deep inside him, fueling his own fire and increasing his conviction to convert her despite the fact that his attempts to entice her continued to fail. The process of winning her over would obviously take much more time and care, but it would be well worth it. For now, he had succeeded in planting some seeds of doubt in her that he could use to his advantage during the interrogation. He took satisfaction in that and changed tactics somewhat to inspire the fear she should, by all rights, be feeling.

"Such a stubborn girl, you are," he said shaking his head after some heat had dissipated from her. "You really have no idea what you're up against, do you?"

His taunt caused her to physically pull back some, but mentally it served only to strengthen her resolve against him. Arkus was preparing to pursue her further when he sensed Vader searching for him. Concerned, at first that the force of his appeal to the Princess might have attracted Vader's attention, Arkus carefully allowed his presence to be felt and sent a probe of his own in response. The sense he picked up from Vader indicated the other Sith was only communicating his desire to begin the interrogation and slight annoyance that Arkus was not where he should be.

~I'm here already.~ Arkus sent to answer the unspoken question. There was no point in hiding where he had spent the last several minutes, but he was also under no obligation to offer an explanation. 'Let him wonder what I'm up to,' he thought to himself.

He then turned his attention back to the Princess and provided an answer to her curiosity at his momentary distraction. "Lord Vader is coming."

Her emotions fluttered at the announcement, but she made no reply.

"I should warn you, these sessions get more uncomfortable far faster after the first one. The droid and Vader already know your weaknesses. I assure you, they will be exploited."

She was no longer listening to him, Arkus could tell. Her mind was already retreating behind fortified mental barriers to steel for the coming assault. She was strong - too strong for the droid to break by itself, though he had no doubt that Vader and he together could accomplish it. The only question that remained was at what price.

"You'll want some time to prepare. I'll wait outside," he said quietly as he left her.

***

Arkus was leaning against the cell block wall with his arms crossed and his eyes closed in momentary meditation when Vader arrived. No words were needed between the two of them to communicate the elder's curiosity and the younger's refusal to respond. Arkus was surprised, though, when Vader did not press the issue.

"Let us begin," Vader stated flatly before opening the cell door.

Arkus responded by straightening his posture and moving aside to allow Vader and the droid to enter the cell first. Arkus was quite familiar with Vader's techniques, having observed several previous interrogations in the course of his training, and could easily predict the course that would be taken. This time, however, he knew he would get no pleasure, no dark power surge, from the victim's fear and suffering. He hated Vader for what was about to happen.

"And now, Your Highness, we will continue to discuss the location of your hidden Rebel base," Vader rumbled at her as he stepped aside to allow the droid to pass.

Arkus immediately shifted his attention to the Princess as soon as she was visible to him again. She was crouched back into the corner of the metal slab that served as a bed in the small cell, shrinking away from the advancing droid with the defiance and hatred of a cornered animal flashing in her eyes. She knew very well what was coming; yet her fear was contained, well under control. Arkus felt a rush of great pride in her courage. If he could work the answer out of her before she lost hold on those emotions then perhaps this would not be so difficult after all. 

She flinched only slightly as the needle pricked her neck and the first of the drugs were injected. The fact she hadn't resisted at all gave evidence she was in control enough to apply lessons already learned, that she was indeed being held fast despite the lack of visible shackles. As usual, Vader forwent any physical restraints in favor of using the Force to increase the subject's sense of confusion and helplessness. This time it had no effect on her. Arkus was further impressed by her control. 

Shunting away the drugged induced terror he sensed in her, Arkus sought out the Princess's true emotions and slyly slipped into her mind through the link he had established what seemed an eternity ago. He made no attempt to understand or control the flow of her thoughts, but simply immersed himself in her essence and let her take him where she would. The images of her life began to flow through him as she searched for memories to distract her from the terror of Vader's frontal assault. Her father, her aunts, a beloved pet purr all surrounded her in love and supplemented her strength. Joyful times of running through Alderaan's verdant hillsides and tumbling roughly with the estate servant children were also recalled and added to her defense arsenal.

Arkus was simultaneously surprised and intrigued by the path she had chosen to fight Vader. He had expected her to focus on her anger to gain strength, as he would have, but instead she had left it behind in her forethoughts while her main consciousness had sought shelter with these memories. He couldn't understand this approach or why it seemed to be so effective at fending off the initial attack. 

He quickly saw the weakness in it though, as the building pressure forced her to concentrate harder on her concocted surroundings and to lose complete touch with reality. Here in the deepest recesses of her mind, she could no longer distinguish between her directed thoughts and those controlled by her dream. A forceful entry into this place would snap her out of the dream and end the vulnerability, but he was already here. 

Allowing her to continue undisturbed for a few moments more, Arkus carefully studied the images of the people she leaned on for support. Her father obviously had a great deal of influence, but there was another that was even better suited to his needs – a dear friend and confidante, the woman that had served as her double on Imperial Center. Applying that woman's image to his presence, he inserted himself more visibly into her mind.

***

Leia didn't waste any effort fighting the drugs being pumped into her. She had already learned that was a useless tatic from her first experience with the droid and Vader. This time she chose to leave the induced emotions unchallenged, retreating instantly behind a wall she had been mentally constructing before her conscious could be engaged in battle. She envisioned blast doors descending and locking behind her as she went deeper into her own mind and reinforced the image with all of her conviction to shut out the coming assault.

This defense line was firmly in place before Vader began testing her strength with gentle but firm pushes meant to guide her thoughts. These first attempts pinged harmlessly against her fortifications and yeilded no indication of weakness. The pressure started increasing rapidly then, turning the soft pings into deafening blows as Vader intensified his attack against her resolve, trying to forcefully twist her mind to his will. But Leia turned her back on him and remained intent on ignoring the growing pain from the pressure as she slipped further into subconsciousness, seeking distractions. 

Leia found relief from Vader's nightmarish tactics in her childhood memories and eased her discomfort by embracing the warm love and laughter that dwelled there. Inserting herself in that atmosphere, she began reliving the happiest and most peaceful moments with her family and friends surrounding her. The angry assault on her mind was forgotten as she became a child once more running and playing with her friends across her home's beautiful fields. 

The dream continued almost blissfully until suddenly the childhood form of her friend Winter dissolved to be replaced by the unsolicated image of the full grown woman. Leia was startled and confused, but the shock quickly faded to concern as Winter's sorrowful expression registered in her semi-conscious thoughts.

"Why are you so sad, Winter," she asked worriedly. 

Arkus softened his assumed expression to a comforting smile and offered Winter's hand invitingly. "Come, sit with me. That ogre cannot find us here. Let us talk," he whispered.

"Yes. It's been so long since we talked," Leia answered dreamily with a faint smile as she took his mental hand.

Using this acceptance of his presence, Arkus quickly surrounded this part of her consciousness with a protective blanket to create the safe-haven that he had promised. Confident that Vader's torture could not disturb them through his wall, he began his own manipulation of her.

"It saddens me to tell you this, but I must," he started tenderly. "Our Alliance is losing, dying. We can no longer deny it."

"No!" Leia protested, confused to be hearing these words from her usually determined friend. "We're growing stronger. We can survive this Death Star, we must survive it!"

"You don't understand, Leia," he gently pressed. "Aach and I did not escape Imperial Center. They knew our plan from the start and trapped us as soon you left." Arkus increased the pain reflected on Winter's face and placed tears in her eyes before he continued. "Aach couldn't take the pain, Leia. He… he gave up so much. So many have been captured now that everything is collapsing." 

Horror registered on Leia's face as she quickly started to run through everything Aach knew to assess the possible damage. These thoughts were left unguarded in her haste and were open to Arkus' review. Unfortunately, the location of the Rebel base was not among the information itemized. Straining to control his frustration, Arkus worked to maintain Winter's gentle image and nudged the Princess's emotions in the direction of despair. 

"You shouldn't suffer like this, Leia," he continued carefully. "The Alliance will die soon anyway. When doesn't matter any more, but you must survive to safeguard the future."

Confusion crept onto Leia's face as she tried to comprehend why Winter would put so much value on her minor contributions. This didn't sound right, but Winter had always given such insightful advice in the past. Leia couldn't think straight enough to reason it through, and fighting the guidance of her most trusted friend was sapping what remained of her strength. She began to falter.

Sensing her weakness, Arkus continued quickly with the most eloquent appeal he could manage. "End our suffering, Leia, that others may live in peace." 

Leia's confusion intensified. Who was she to throw away the lives of the thousands that manned that base and discount the choice billions had made to support them? "No," she said, calling deep into own reserves to challenge her friend. 

That rejection caused Arkus' control of her dream to waver just enough for her to sense that something was wrong. He tightened his wall closer around them, trying to keep her attention on Winter instead of on the budding doubts that were creeping into her thoughts, but he knew it was pointless. He would not be able to deceive her once she suspected the truth, and his mirage was already unraveling under her increasing scrutiny.

"No, never!" Leia pushed back harder at Winter, responding to a gathering storm of doubt in her thoughts. 'How could this be Winter? How could she be here if she'd been captured?' she argued to herself now, straining to understand what was happening through the haze of the drugs and… something else. Then suddenly, her mind presented her with the only logical conclusion. This wasn't real.

"I don't believe you! You're not real!" Leia asserted with forceful conviction.

Winter's image completely shattered at the confidence in Leia's declaration, leaving Arkus' presence exposed for what it really was. Arkus froze completely, making no further moves toward her, yet giving no sign of retreat. Unwilling to use the full strength of his will to force her into submission lest he snap her mind, he simply waited passively for her reaction and watched with subdued caution as horror and rage erupted up from depths of Leia's soul when complete understanding flooded in. 

"Get out!" she screamed in intense revulsion, summoning the full power of her spirit to eject him from her mind. "Do you hear me!! GET OUT!!"

Arkus was caught unprepared for the force behind her mental thrust as she smashed through the wall he had constructed and propelled him out past it with enough power to cause him to physically jerk. He was gone from her mind, but so was the brief protection he had given her from Vader's assault. Now the full pressure of that attack closed in on her exposed shelter. With the last of her strength spent, Leia fled before it in tearful panic, seeking any means at all to end the strain without revealing her secret.

"Enough!" Arkus bellowed at Vader as he simultaneously used the Force to swat the droid away from Leia. 

Arkus was relieved to see the Princess go completely limp as the sudden lack of the droid's electrical stimuli to her brain finally allowed her mental defenses to render her mercifully unconscious. It had taken him a moment to re-establish his bearings following the abrupt removal of his consciousness from her mind - a moment that had nearly cost her sanity. The intense pressure that he had felt on his own mind in response to her frantic distress quickly dissipated as she found her escape, but he was still left feeling somewhat disoriented. Knowing this was far from over, Arkus immediately turned to his primal emotions to gather the strength he would need to deal with Vader. 

**

Vader turned sharply toward Arkus, seeking immediate justification for the actions the boy had taken, but quickly called his own anger back in check as he surveyed his son's condition. Arkus was obviously disoriented from the hours of interrogation and seemed more than a little weakened as he sought reinforcement from the Force. This was not the typical reaction Arkus had demonstrated in their previous joint interrogation sessions, and its occurrence now, with this particular prisoner, caused Vader to reassess the boy's participation.

The beginning had been no different. Vader had sought to torque the prisoner's mind with a frontal attack while Arkus had slipped back further into her subconscious to apply more subtle pressure. They had employed this double assault technique together before to break particularly stubborn individuals. This time, however, Vader had quickly lost all sense of his son's presence in the subject's mind as the boy had drifted through barriers that had stood fast against him. 

The possibility existed that Arkus had actually been working to thwart him and had been forced to retreat when faced with failure. This didn't feel quite right though. Certainly the boy was trying to protect the Princess on some level, but the sudden and violent recoil of Arkus' presence and the condition of her resolve left in his wake testified against all-out insubordination. Something else had happened here. As he sensed his son bolstering his strength in preparation for a confrontation, Vader could see only one path to gain insight.

"Why did you end this?" Vader asked calmly.

Arkus' defensive anger pulled back slightly in suspicion at the openness of Vader's tone. "Her mind was collapsing," he ventured truthfully. "I couldn't control her any longer."

Vader sensed the veracity of the explanation on the surface, but the best of deceptions were always hidden behind the truth. Arkus was certainly clever enough to manage it here. "What were you attempting?" he tested further.

"I was trying to lead her into revealing the Rebels willingly. It didn't work," Arkus replied honestly again, hopeful that his apparent cooperation would quickly lead to his desired outcome without requiring him to expend additional energy. 

Vader studied him closely as he considered the plausibility of the account Arkus had given. To be effective against an individual as strong and aware as the Princess such an effort would have to be quite elaborate and might strain the boy still maturing in his powers. The rapid deterioration of her control that had presumably resulted from his failure would likely cause some distress as well. Vader needed no clarification to understand why Arkus had allowed her to slip unconscious rather than permit her mind to disintegrate.

Convinced the boy had acted faithfully here, Vader now decided to use the opportunity to teach him a lesson. "Very well. We will resume when she has recovered," he deliberately provoked.

"No!" Arkus protested forcefully, his anger rising again. "I already told you this would happen and you risked it anyway. You know her will is too strong to break without destroying her. Now she's mine!"

"You think you can do better?"

"I could hardly do worse!" 

"Watch your tone with me!" Vader warned with feigned vehemence.

Arkus was nearly shaking from his rage and was apparently willing to fight without restraint to get what he wanted here despite his weakened condition. There was little doubt who would win in such a contest, and Arkus had to know this. The boy had already foolishly extended himself far enough to make Vader's point. Vader now dropped his façade to reveal the ruse and took satisfaction in sensing first confusion and then chagrined resentment washing through his son. 

"I think your involvement with this girl is clouding your judgement," Vader reprimanded. He waited until the chill in Arkus' sense indicated the boy had given the thought as least some consideration before continuing. "Take her. Do with her what you will, but consider just how open to manipulation this girl has left you." 

Vader wheeled about and left Arkus alone in the cell with the unconscious princess. This girl was proving to be quite an asset and not just for the Rebel information still to be plucked from her mind. If he was cautious enough in handling her, she might well be the key to turning his son against the Emperor.

**

Arkus managed to calm the turmoil of his garbled emotions shortly after Vader left, but he couldn't shake the splitting headache that remained behind. He had again played right into Vader's hand and stupidly revealed the strength of his desire to have the Princess. The anger he was feeling with himself was tempered only by the fact that the end result had still been what he wanted. Perhaps that slip would prove to be useful in the future, Arkus mused. With this great effort his father seemed to be expending to win his trust from the Emperor, Vader might now be willing to intercede for the Princess on his behalf the next time she was in trouble. 

Arkus turned to regard her limp form slumping awkwardly on the cold metal slab. He really needed to concentrate on getting his strength back so he could deal with Vader on even terms, but he couldn't just leave her here. This simply was not the proper place for her, and Vader had given him permission to do as he pleased. 

Arkus immediately decided to bring the Princess to his personal quarters. She would be safer there, and they would be alone for him to continue working on her. He wouldn't take her just now, though, Arkus thought as he went to arrange her into a more comfortable position. She would be unconscious for some time after that ordeal, and there would still be some obstacles to him keeping her, he was sure. He would deal with them first, then have the guards transfer her when everything was prepared. 


	12. Chap 12 Passage to Alderaan

Chapter 12 – Passage to Alderaan 

Obi-Wan hurried through the busy streets of Mos Eisley, mentally adding the sum he had been carrying to that which he had managed to raise from selling his land speeder and a few other bits of equipment - two thousand credits total. Those items he had sold were worth more than the price he had accepted, but the presence of Imperial stormtroopers observing the market transactions had encouraged Obi-Wan to end the negotiations quickly. No matter, he now had enough to cover the up-front fee the pilot had agreed to, and he was certain the remaining fifteen thousand credits would be gladly paid by Bail Organa when they arrived on Alderaan… if they arrived on Alderaan. This entire morning the Jedi had been plagued by the feeling that time was running short, and he was certain that sense came from more than the increasing number of Imperial patrols he had to maneuver around. 

Obi-Wan's endeavor to find passage to Alderaan had already taken much longer than he had anticipated, his search having been slowed by what seemed to be a conspiracy of events. First there had been the need to repair his landspeeder's left engine, overstressed from the extensive search for the droids in the desert's most intense heat. Entering Mos Eisley had been tedious as well, with Imperial checkpoints slowing traffic to a near stand still. Though, as a Jedi, he'd had no difficulty convincing the guards to let him pass, additional time had been spent finding secure, temporary lodging in which to hide the droids while he searched the local cantinas for a pilot. Nearly two days and half a dozen seedy establishments later, the Force had finally led him to an available pilot with acceptable scruples, sufficient skill and a ship that held promise for a speedy trip. 

Now seeking out docking bay ninety-four with the intent of departing Tatooine at the pilot's earliest convenience, Obi-Wan spared little attention for the complaints of one of the droids struggling to keep up with him.

"Oh pardon me, sir," Threepio apologized for having unsuccessfully dodged yet another being in the cramped and crowded alleyways.

The malcontented Aqualish seemed unwilling to let the incident pass as an accident and began making a threatening advance on the droid. Obi-Wan was turning to intervene on Threepio's behalf when a large Wookiee suddenly barked and growled ferociously from a recessed door ahead. The aggressor turned to assess this unexpected protest then quickly backed away, deterred from any violence by the toothy snarl and the wicked looking bow caster held by the Wookiee.

"Thank you, Chewbacca," Obi-Wan said in genuine appreciation as a look of satisfaction spread across the big Wookiee's face. The Jedi could have easily handled the dispute, but the Wookiee's method was less likely to draw suspicion from any bystanders.

Chewie waved off the man's gratitude and gestured hurriedly to the entrance of the docking bay. Jabba had just left with his goons in tow, and the copilot was anxious to get his friend away from this place and in possession of this promised fare as quickly as possible before the Hutt changed his mind.

Obi-Wan could not completely interpret the string of soft barks and howls the Wookiee issued, but he was able to glean the desire for speed from Chewie's gestures and emotions. That suited Obi-Wan just fine given the distinct sensation of being observed he now felt. It was indeed time to leave this planet.

Hefting up again his small rucksack filled with what few of his belongings were worth keeping, Obi-Wan followed Chewbacca through the doorway and nearly stopped short when his eyes fell upon the much touted Millennium Falcon. There, nestled in the middle of the enormous crater that served as the docking bay, sat perhaps the ugliest ship he had ever seen in his life. Reviewing the battered and scarred hull, Obi-Wan began to wonder if the sum of seventeen thousand credits he had picked from the pilot's mind might be what was necessary to get this freighter spaceworthy again.

"Oh my! Surely I'm not expected to endure space travel on that scrap pile," Threepio muttered in dismay.

The ship's captain had been occupied with pre-flight checks under the belly of the saucer-shaped freighter when he heard the droid's complaint. Han Solo now dropped his attention away from his work to deliver the offender a nasty scowl. He couldn't care less about what that golden tin can thought, but the unsatisfied look on the old man's face required some attention. Han couldn't have his best and easiest chance of settling with Jabba suddenly decide to find another pilot.

"She'll make point five past light speed," Han boasted defensively to the old man, stepping out some to greet his passenger. "She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts. I've made some special modifications myself."

Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows in a dubious expression as he re-assessed the ship in light of the pilot's confidence. Somewhat mystified but sensing once again that this was the path he was to follow, the Jedi accepted the will of the Force and gave the cocky Corellian a nod of acceptance. Gesturing to the droids, Obi-Wan continued his approach to the Falcon's boarding ramp and met Han with a tight smile.

Returning the old man's smile with strained congeniality, Han swept his hand out in exaggerated gracious invitation, "But we're a little rushed. So if you'll just get on board, we'll get out of here."

Obi-Wan complied without words, quickly ascending the ramp with Artoo close behind. Threepio, however, hesitated just a moment to bow his head in reply to the pilot's invitation. "Oh. Thank you, sir," Threepio said politely before following his companions onto the Falcon.

Han rolled his eyes at the droid's apparent inability to decipher sarcasm and turned back to complete his pre-flight checks. He could barely believe he had stooped so low as to become a chauffeur for an old man and his droids. Then again, if the old man was crazy enough to pay so much for simple passage to a central system, who was he to pass up the deal? Despite the other man's allusion to difficulties with the Imperials, Han was certain it was nothing he couldn't handle. What possible trouble could such an old geezer get himself into?

Han was just about to let out a scoffing snort when his eye caught a glint of light reflecting off moving metal. Looking curiously in that direction, his expression quickly changed to stunned surprise as the first stormtroopers spilled into the bay, their weapons already drawn.

"Stop that ship. Blast them!" one ordered immediately, causing Han's expression to change again, this time to disconcerted alarm as the troops moved to fulfill their orders. 

Quick and automatic reflexes compensated for Han's baffled surprise and put him in motion before the first of the shots were fired. His own blaster was drawn and used to provide scattering fire before the Imps could establish any strategic position at all, but there were simply too many of them for Han to do anything but run. Ducking the incoming blasts and cursing to himself, Han continued snapping off rounds to keep the Imps distracted as he bolted for the Falcon's ramp. "Chewie, get us outta here!" he screamed to his copilot, running full out for the cockpit the instant he made it on-board and secured the hatch behind him.

**

Obi-Wan had just gotten Threepio and Artoo settled when he sensed the Imperials storming the bay. Turning at first toward the ship's entrance in concern, he quickly redirected his efforts to strapping himself in as he heard the pilot charge up the ramp. The Jedi's time on Tatooine had come to an end. Now Obi-Wan knew he would soon discover if this ship was indeed capable of all that the pilot claimed.

**

Chewbacca had seen the brief fire fight but had concentrated on accelerating the power-up sequence rather than providing firepower back-up to a situation that was rapidly deteriorating. With Han now on-board, Chewie fired the repulsors to quickly maneuver the Falcon out of the bay and orient it toward space. He kicked in the main drive the instant the ship was clear of the crater's rocky walls.

The Falcon obeyed Chewie's commands with surprising grace and shot away with equally surprising speed, leaving the still firing stormtroopers far behind. However, no ship could outrun communication signals between ground troops and orbiting starships. The freighter had barely escaped the planet's atmosphere when sensors began reporting another ship in close proximity.

Han, still getting settled into his seat, acknowledged a stream of anxious barks from his co-pilot by immediately focusing on his sensor screen. "Looks like an Imperial cruiser. Our passenger must be hotter than I thought," he announced grimly. 

"Try and hold them off," Han commanded Chewbacca, completely trusting his copilot's flying skills as he scrambled up to turn his attention to the navigator station. "Angle the deflector shields while I start the calculations for the jump to light speed."

Han's fingers flew over the console, entering the necessary data to initiate the computations with practiced efficiency. Once he was satisfied the process was underway, he turned back around to find his pilot's seat and nearly bumped into a presence that hadn't been there before. Shooting Obi-Wan a warning scowl, Han was nevertheless surprised by the intense look on the old man's face and the apparent ease with which he stood in the cockpit. 

Obi-Wan backed into the unoccupied communication station to get out of Han's way but kept his eyes focused on the space outside. "There are two more coming in. They're going to try to cut us off," he announced calmly.

Han shot Obi-Wan a strange look, wondering just how the old man could possibly understand their situation within the few seconds he'd been in the cockpit. "I see 'em," he directed at Obi-Wan, pointedly commanding the passenger to stay out of his way. Then, realizing the old man was right, Han quickly slipped the rest of the way into the pilot's seat and applied his own flying skills to evading the forming trap. "Stay sharp, Chewie," he warned his co-pilot.

Obi-Wan leaned in closer between the two pilot seats, his face drawn into a look of intense concentration as the pursuing Star Destroyers closed the distance between the ships.

"Don't worry," Han told him. "We'll be safe enough once we've made the jump to hyperspace. Besides, I know a few maneuvers. We'll lose 'em."

As if in defiance to Han's prediction, the first of the three Star Destroyers opened fire and began rocking the freighter with powerful blasts. The explosions from the shots that were absorbed by the shields and the bright flashes from the numerous near misses that lit up the space outside the cockpit combined to give the distinct impression that the freighter was mortally imperiled.

"Here's where the fun begins," Han smirked sarcastically with a spreading grin as he spun the Falcon almost recklessly to prevent the other ships from obtaining a targeting lock.

Obi-Wan realized the pilot was actually enjoying this challenge on some level and had to admit he was impressed with the man's demonstrated skill. "How much longer before you can make the jump to light speed?" he asked with only mild concern.

"It'll take a few a minutes to the coordinates from the navi computer," Han replied just as calmly, once again surprised by the old man's coolness under the continuous barrage they were taking.

As good a pilot as Han was, there was little he could actually do to escape the targeting of the closing Destroyers without breaking off of his exit vector. It was simply a race between the speed of his navigation computer and the accuracy of laser shots that were striving to drain the Falcon's shields as quickly as possible. The Imperials' pursuit continued for only a few moments longer before a blaring alarm accompanied by a flashing red light filled the Falcon's cockpit. 

"Damn. We're losing a deflector shield," Han cursed, suddenly very serious. Fortunately a tone from navigator station announced at the same time that the computer's calculations were complete. "Go strap yourself in. I'm going to make the jump to light speed," Han snapped at his passenger as he turned to lock in the coordinates.

Not worrying if he had given the old man sufficient time to comply, Han immediately turned back to reach for the hyperdrive controls and smoothly pulled back on the levers. The surrounding space immediately stretched into magnificent starlines as the hyperdrive engaged, and the Millennium Falcon streaked safely away from Tatooine.

******

"I cannot agree with this arrangement, Lord Vader," Tarkin spoke sternly. He had interpreted Vader's request for a private meeting as a sign that the Princess's interrogation had begun yielding results. Instead, he had been stunned by the Dark Lord's request to allow the Princess to be handed over to Arkus, an inexperienced subordinate with questionable motives at best. "She'll be practically unguarded."

"Relax, Governor. I assure you Darth Arkus can handle her. You should not underestimate him," Vader warned in reply.

Tarkin furrowed his brow deeper at Vader's apparent confidence in this fledgling Sith. He wasn't sure which situation was more disconcerting – for Arkus to be an untrained and incompetent Sith, or a skilled Sith lacking the maturity and discipline Lord Vader demonstrated. Tarkin had believed Vader to be last member of this religion, the last one capable of wielding the mystical power that no one else understood and few believed even existed until receiving a demonstration, as Motti had. That the Emperor had found another and brought him into Imperial service had been a most unwelcome surprise.

"Are you certain another interrogation session wouldn't be more useful?" Tarkin asked, mostly to verify that this decision of Vader's was based on solid reasoning and not some influence from Arkus to satisfy a conflicting agenda.

"Her resistance remains quite strong even after our second session. I believe it is now prudent to pursue an alternative method," Vader stated confidently, leaving no room for argument.

"Perhaps you are right, Lord Vader," Tarkin finally capitulated, knowing he would get no further explanation and quickly deciding to use the opportunity to introduce his own strategy. "I have been considering an alternative approach myself." 

"What do you mean?" Vader asked suspiciously.

"Only that it is time to demonstrate the firepower of this station, and I believe we can do so in a fashion that is doubly useful. The Princess may be more forthcoming when her home world is threatened," Tarkin put forward. 

Vader paused at the suggestion then responded with a guarded tone, "You may find she has a stronger conviction than you believe."

"Nevertheless," Tarkin continued, waving off the skepticism in a manner that made it clear it was his turn to accept no arguments. "I have already ordered Admiral Motti to set course for the Alderaan system. Arkus can have her until then."


	13. Chap 13 Alone at Last

Chapter 13 – Alone at Last

Arkus studied the sleeping princess with interest as she lay restfully in the bed nestled in one corner of his small bedroom. She had been unconscious with episodes of fitful nightmares for over a day now but had settled into a much more peaceful sleep for the last several hours. She would be waking up soon, he knew. Until then, he was content to watch her from a few meters away while absently picking at the dinner on the table before him.

Getting her here had been easier than Arkus had expected. Vader had apparently handled the inevitable protests from Tarkin, conceding only to the Governor's demand to have additional guards posted outside Arkus' quarters. An insult that, but one Arkus could tolerate for now, especially since no additional security or monitoring devices had been installed in the interior. Having his father as an over-eager advocate had proven useful after all. Arkus had taken advantage of the time Vader's intercession with Tarkin had saved him to gather what amenities he could for the Princess and to catch some much-needed rest for himself.

Arkus was fully recovered now, both physically from the long and cramped journey and mentally from the strain of the interrogation, and was faced with the problem of determining just what he intended to do with the Princess. She did have Force talent, of that he was certain. It was the only explanation for the strength of the empathetic connection he had made with her and the power with which she had driven him off. However, she was also definitely not trained in using it. This made it difficult to assess just how powerful she could be without running a blood sample to check her midi-chlorian level, something that was most certainly not an option with Vader lurking around. Her talent had to remain a secret for now, though he could already feel whisperings from the dark powers urging him to train her.

Arkus immediately shut down that line of thought. Matters were complicated enough with Vader vying for power. The introduction of another Sith would only exacerbate the situation, and he knew the Emperor would never allow it. The Master would most likely destroy her outright rather than risk her falling under Vader's control. The Princess's training, if she proved suitable, would have to wait until that power struggle was resolved. Right now Arkus still needed to open her mind to the potential of the Empire, and judging from her past stubbornness, that would prove difficult enough.

She began to stir, and Arkus sensed the first bubble of conscious thought emerging through the haze of her sleep. He immediately shifted his full attention to assessing her state of mind and found the expected disorientation coupled with an acknowledgement of pain and discomfort. Arkus continued to watch her waken with interest, careful not to make a sound that might alert her to his presence prematurely. Nudging her very gently as she lay on her back, he sought to get her to turn her head toward the wall so she would not immediately see him upon opening her eyes. He wanted full realization to come slowly to better gauge her reaction.

*

Leia tossed her head to the left with a moan, fighting the coming wakening and bringing her hand up to rest against her forehead as her body slowly communicated its protests. Her mind sluggishly began to interpret those signals within the context of what she could remember. 

'Stiff, yes, from sleeping,' Leia computed groggily, 'but why this awful headache?' She opened her eyes just a fraction, seeking additional information, but was greeted with only with the sight of dull gray durasteel. She wasn't home. 'Where?' she questioned herself. The memories came back slowly, bringing unwelcome recollections of additional sources for her pains. 'The cell,' she finally reasoned with another moan.

Waves of worry and uncertainty flooded into her thoughts as she tried to recall what, if anything, she had revealed. Exhaling heavily, she turned her body slightly to push her head harder into the soft pillow and brought her other hand up to press against her temple. Then the inconsistency clicked. The surface she was on was soft and warm - not the cold, hard slab in her cell. 

Leia's eyes snapped fully open with that shocking realization. She quickly moved to upright herself on the bed but only managed to prop herself up before an onslaught of dizziness and nausea forced her to slowly collapse to her back again. Feeling as though she might pass out, she shut her eyes tightly against the spinning room and cradled her now throbbing head.

"Easy, Your Highness. You've had a rough day. I suggest you move a little more slowly for a while," a voice advised from her right, alerting her that she was not alone. 

Leia managed to contain her startled dismay at the unexpected address, more out of pure physical weariness than any exertion of control. While the voice was unknown to her, the phrasing of the greeting was all too familiar. Unsure her auditory senses weren't playing tricks on her, she slowly turned her head toward the speaker and tried opening her eyes once more. The sight she beheld provided a sufficient distraction for her to forget her discomfort and brought her mind into a sharper focus.

The speaker was indeed Arkus, leaning back in a chair in the corner of the room directly across from her, with a half-eaten dinner before him. He was still dressed in the black nerf-hide and satin overshirt, but the mask was no longer completely in place. The bottom half had been removed to expose his face from just below the cheekbones and nose down to his neck, presumably to allow him to eat. His left elbow was propped on the chair's arm with his gloved hand placed against his upper lip and his chin resting lightly against the thumb in a pose suggesting contemplation. This managed to obscure most of his exposed face from Leia's view, but she could clearly see his right jaw line. She studied it with curious interest as she noted the smooth and youthful appearance of his skin, so different from what she had imagined. There was nothing at all to suggest a reason for him wearing the mask.

"Yes, I'm human," Arkus said with a sour smirk as he moved his hand away from his face to allow Leia a clearer view. Of all the reactions he had anticipated from her, curiosity had not been among them. 

Leia snapped out of her fascinated study of him, angry with herself for having allowed it to occur at all. Calling upon her defiance, she turned her eyes ice cold as she adjusted her gaze to glare directly into his still masked eyes. 

"Physically, perhaps," she retorted in an attempt to deliver a scathing response. But with her dry throat protesting such use, her voice came out as crackling croak completely lacking the malice she had intended to communicate. The smile that crept onto Arkus' face as a result served to infuriate her further. 

"My, don't we wake up in a good mood?" Arkus teased her, pleased again to see that she suffered no long-term ill effects from the interrogation. 

He reveled in the anger that emanated from the Princess as she began moving slowly, methodically to upright herself in an attempt to regain some dignity and thereby diminish her appearance as a weakened and helpless captive. After her efforts met with some success, Arkus gestured casually toward a glass and pitcher of water setting on the night table next to the bed. "Drink some water," he offered. "It will help that voice of yours and should alleviate your headache."

Leia shifted her eyes to the night table and noted the objects placed there for her. She eyed the already filled glass suspiciously, both for the possible masked contents and for the realization of what its presence meant. Arkus had likely been watching her closely from that chair for some time. Even though she felt certain she had not been physically touched, she was still deeply disturbed by the idea of being in what had to be Arkus' private quarters, with him hovering over her while she had been unconscious.

"Don't be so suspicious, Your Highness," Arkus scolded, picking up on her emotions but choosing to address only the most apparent reason for her hesitation. "If I wanted you drugged I would hardly have to resort to such devious methods."

Leia glowered at him, reminded of his violation of her mind during the interrogation. Or had that been a nightmare? She couldn't remember clearly, nor could she be certain she hadn't inadvertently given up the location of the Rebel base. If she hadn't cracked, then why was she here instead of still in the cell awaiting the next round of torture? Or was this some new tactic Arkus was trying on her? Too many questions for which she had no answers. She was reluctant to trust anything at this point. 

Arkus gave a soft sigh of frustration. "You're going to have to drink eventually, unless you wish to dehydrate yourself to the point of requiring an intravenous solution. While I don't doubt your stubbornness, you might want to consider which method of fluid intake would be more pleasant."

The veiled threat had no affect on Leia, but she had to concede the point. There was little reason for him to tamper with the water unless he was hoping to receive some perverse pleasure from watching her drug herself. Possible, she considered, but unlikely, and she *was* incredibly thirsty. She would just have to stay on guard for whatever he had planned. Setting aside all thoughts concerning the Alliance on the chance this was a ruse, Leia gave him a final defiant stare and reached for the glass as she swung her legs about to sit on the edge of the bed.

Arkus watched in satisfaction as the Princess first sipped, then gulped the water down. All in all, he was pleased with this small progress. The strength of her determination continued to impress him, even as the equivalent strength of her stubbornness frustrated him to near distraction. Most rewarding, however, was the demonstration of her fledgling ability to close her mind. Now that he was looking for it, he had been able to sense her subconsciously using the Force to construct a primitive wall in her mind against him. Given training, that ability might develop into a most useful skill, if she proved strong enough. For now, he simply respected her wishes and offered no challenge to her shutting him out.

Arkus waited until the Princess completely drained the glass and returned her attention to him with a "what now" look before proceeding. "If you're hungry, I can order a dinner for you," he offered, then pointed out the refresher across the room with a flick of his wrist before continuing. "You'd just have time to clean yourself up before it arrived."

Leia let her eyes follow the motion of his gesture and was once again stunned by what she saw by the foot of the bed. Hanging from the door of the clothes locker just outside the refresher was a formal dress of the sort worn in Imperial court, carefully displayed for her review. Modest and elegant, the dress itself was made of deep purple satin with a black inner shell sewn into the pleats of the full, floor-length skirt. The scooped neckline was accentuated with a black velvet wrap that attached at the shoulders to cascade down the long, tight sleeves and drape gracefully to the waist around the back of the dress. A black velvet sash wrapped around the tight waistline and a pair of black, ankle high dress-boots completed the ensemble. 

Leia's jaw fell slightly open in utter and complete shock as the possible motivations behind Arkus providing such a dress began to scroll through her mind. Dumbfounded to the point of speechlessness, she turned back to him with an incredulous look displayed untempered on her face.

Arkus was immensely pleased by her reaction and chose to continue in his effort to impress her. "If there is anything else you require, you have access to contact a lieutenant that is at your beck and call," he said with another gesture, this time toward the small comm station embedded in the wall to his left. "Consider it a token display of the power I can place at your fingertips," he explained further in answer to Leia's increasingly stupefied look.

"What is it that you want from me?" Leia blurted out, finally finding her voice again.

"For now, I would like for you to relax," Arkus answered with smirk. "You are here as my guest and likely will be for some time. May as well make yourself comfortable."

Arkus' smug smile quickly turned the vestiges of Leia's shock into open disgust, spurring her defiant spirit to revolt. "I want nothing from you!" she yelled at him, reaching over to forcefully shove the water pitcher to the floor to fully demonstrate her disdain.

Arkus, completely bewildered by Leia's physical outburst, watched in astonishment as the pitcher hit the floor and sprayed its contents far enough to nearly reach him. This behavior was not at all to be expected from such a refined and controlled individual, and he was quite certain he had done nothing to deserve its display. Inexplicably hurt by this vehement rejection of his hospitality, Arkus still managed to control his instinctive reaction to respond in kind, save for a scowl creeping onto his face. 

"Perhaps you would prefer it back in your cell, Your Highness?" he hissed bitterly at her.

"I believe I would!" she snapped nastily at him and stood abruptly to confront him further, her growing anger blocking away the rush of dizziness at the sudden movement. "What is it you think you're doing?" she demanded, throwing her arms out to her sides in a gesture of disbelief. "How is it that you could possibly believe I would ever be interested in serving or joining - or whatever - an evil creature like you?! Do you really think you can just brush aside your rape of my mind by offering a few trinkets? I want nothing to do with you!" she screamed, pointing a finger in harsh accusation. "You, Vader, the Emperor - beasts the lot of you - destroying and perverting everything you touch! I would undergo a thousand interrogations at Vader's hands before I would ever accept anything from you!"

"You ungrateful, spoiled brat!" Arkus exploded, flying out of his chair and knocking the table before him clear out of his way with just a wave of his hand. Unable to control his sudden rage, he charged Leia with a fury sufficient to force her back onto the bed with the mere approach of his suddenly imposing stature. "You feel abused over passive observation and mild deception? You don't know the true meaning of abuse! I could wrench that Rebel base location from your mind and leave you begging for the bliss of interrogation! Vader is capable of nothing compared to the hell I can put you through!" 

Arkus loomed over her shaken and subdued form, clenching his fists and peeling his lips back in a vicious snarl, so tempted to bring down the brunt of his wrath on her. But the fear he saw reflected in Leia's eyes as she realized what price she might now pay for her outburst brought forth an unfamiliar sting of guilt from his dark heart and caused him to pause. Snorting loudly, he slowly drew his lips together and shuddered violently as he worked to contain his built up energy, lest he unleash it upon her anyway. Unable to bear the sight of her any longer, he spun violently to his left, releasing some anger by forcefully punching the wall at the head of the bed before wheeling about to storm out of the room.

***

Leia continued to hold her breath in absolute terror for a few moments after Arkus left the bedroom, waiting tensely until she heard the exterior door in the room beyond slide shut again following his stomping exit. Then, collapsing what remained of her composure with quick, ragged breaths, she allowed herself to tremble uncontrollably in shocked relief at having been miraculously spared the punishment Arkus had promised. It was all she could manage to keep from bursting into tears as she struggled to recover from the worst of the panic. Never before had she felt such powerful, hate-driven anger focused so intensely on her. Never before had she known such fear.

Lulled into a sense of familiarity by his past indulgences of her retorts, she had clearly underestimated his temper and had nearly suffered what she was certain could have been dire consequences. Yet, he still hadn't laid a hand on her. 'Why?' Leia asked herself, her sudden curiosity helping to calm her rattled nerves. She had certainly given him adequate provocation, and he had been visibly straining not to give her a taste of what he was capable of inflicting upon her. So why did she warrant such continued leniency from him, and… protection? 

The utter shock of that thought was immediately followed by a sense of confirmation strong enough to drive the remains of her fear away. 'Yes, he has been protecting me,' Leia re-affirmed as she ran through her past encounters with him. On Balitar he had known she was a Rebel, had told her as much, but had seen her escorted safely away. In that meeting on Imperial Center and again before the second interrogation, he had all but offered her his personal protection if only she would cooperate. What she had interpreted as threats before, she now saw as warnings. Even his impersonation of Winter in her mind seemed now, on some level, to be an attempt at protecting her by seducing the desired information from her willingly rather using more brutal methods. And this last, bringing her to his quarters, putting her under his wing.

'But to what purpose? What possible interest could he have in me?' Leia's stunned mind tried to reason. The offering of wine, caring for her needs, displaying his power, that dress - were these genuine attempts at courtship? Truly a strange play for a Sith Lord who could likely bend anyone to his will. No, this was about trust, she suddenly knew. For some reason he wanted her to trust him, and for reasons beyond discovering the location of the Rebel base. 

That thought brought back to Leia's mind the threat Arkus had made - "I could wrench that Rebel base location from your mind..." So, she hadn't cracked in that interrogation session. Relief flooded Leia's thoughts. She had managed to buy the Alliance one more day to learn that its base was in jeopardy and evacuate it. Would it be enough? She doubted she could withstand another round of mind probing with both Vader and Arkus at her.

Leia turned back to give the dress another look. If Arkus had truly been protecting her, then perhaps he would continue to do so if she gave him motivation. Whatever he wanted from her, no matter how horrible, if she could play along perhaps he would delay additional interrogation sessions. A shudder ran down Leia's spine as she contemplated just what she might have to endure for that role, but it would be worth it to save the Alliance.


	14. Chap 14 Coming to Terms

Chapter 14 – Coming to Terms

Arkus had truly never known such frustration in his life. 'Impossible, impossible woman!' he seethed mentally as he stormed down yet another deserted corridor of the seemingly endless station. For once he was glad for this monstrosity Tarkin had constructed, for if he had come upon another person and noticed even a sidewise mental glance directed at him, he would have rent that individual into a hundred pieces. Having to later explain that action to Vader would have been most unpleasant. As it was, the dark aura of malignant energy that Arkus projected around himself was more than sufficient to convince any would-be travelers of these corridors to seek alternative routes.

Though nearly an hour had passed since his temper had violently exploded, Arkus was still shaking with rage, consumed by an inner fury yet to find an outlet. The scene in his bedroom kept replaying in his thoughts and maintained his agitation at this nearly unbearable level. He could not get the Princess's words out of his mind. 

'So she would prefer Vader's brutality to my companionship?' Arkus asked himself in a surge of hate-filled rage. 'Well, if pain is what she desires, I can certainly provide that!' The image of her begging for his mercy, for just one more chance, sprang forth in Arkus' mind, giving him some satisfaction. But this feeling was immediately countered by an internal objection that refused to allow him to indulge himself in this manner. The resulting conflict drew his anger back in on himself and caused his blood to boil yet again.

Releasing a terrifying scream of intense frustration, Arkus suddenly broke his stride to momentarily focus his anger and delivered the uncaring bulkhead a resounding blow. The explosion of pain he received in response reminded him that this was not the first time this day he had inflicted such abuse on his hand. Already bruised and tender knuckles screamed in protest, but that went unnoticed as a bone in the back of Arkus' hand snapped under the compression force and dislodged to tear cruelly through the surrounding tissue.

"Gah!" Arkus howled as he drew his injured hand back to cradle it with his left arm. Holding his breath while still managing to curse aggressively through clenched teeth, he backed up to lean against the opposite wall. He made no attempt to shunt the pain away, but rather allowed it to pulse through him unhindered. Pain was something Arkus understood, was intimately familiar with, and was something he could use. He welcomed it now as means to gain control of his emotions and chose to revel in its sensation.

After the initial blast of intense pain passed, Arkus released his breath in a heavy exhale and slid the rest of the way down the wall to settle on the floor. Only slightly calmer now, he looked viciously down at his complaining hand and slowly brought it out in front of him to focus on the injury. Though the glove prevented a visual inspection, the extent of the damage was immediately evident to him through the Force. Arkus quickly located the errant bone and used the Force to slide it ever so slowly back into place, hissing in satisfaction as the waves of agony rose up to beat against his wrath. He then focused the Force again to brace the set bone just long enough for him to yank the glove off. 

Arkus immediately doubled over with a suppressed scream and again cradled his hand as he spent the remains of his anger battling the excruciating consequences of this last punishment. As the pain slowly dissipated into a tolerable throbbing, he relaxed back against the wall again and saw his surroundings with a clearer outlook. He realized then that he had no idea where he was, that he would not be able to retrace the steps of his blind charge through these corridors even if he searched his memory intently using the Force. Nor could he remember snatching up the bottom component of his mask that he now felt re-affixed to his face. In fact, very little had registered in his mind after the moment his temper had exploded.

A sting of concern for the Princess shot into his conscience as Arkus quickly replayed in his mind the events from their argument. After a moment he convinced himself, with some relief, that he hadn't harmed her but had instead chosen to take his wrath out exclusively on the wall as he had just stupidly done again. Cursing himself in frustration for having incapacitated his preferred hand, he looked down again to inspect the damaged appendage. 

Arkus knew he was capable of healing those injuries with the Force. He had easily accomplished such deeds multiple times in the past, but doing so always required a deep state of calm. The darker emotions that dominated his current mindset would interfere with the process and likely slow any progress to an unacceptable pace. Not wishing to have his fighting abilities inhibited for longer than absolutely necessary, he determined that his only alternative was to seek outside assistance. Muttering in disgust at himself and the upcoming humiliation he would have to endure, Arkus stood and headed for the nearest medical bay.

****

Vader relaxed back into his meditation chamber as he felt his son's temper finally settle into a more controlled state. While the specifics of the incident that had set Arkus off were unknown to Vader, he knew the underlying cause as surely as if similar events from his own past were simply being re-enacted. Arkus was in the first stages of love for this princess, or rather the more powerful version of love that the dark side had to offer, obsession. Her predictable rejection of his attention was the likely source of this outburst, and matters were not likely to improve for as long as she held information that was needed by the Empire and fatal to her cause.

What had been surprising and most encouraging was to feel Arkus fight against the instinctive hate that normally surged out from him when he felt even the least bit slighted. This tendency in the boy had been a source of concern for Vader for some time now. Hate, while an incredible source of dark power, would eventually consume anyone foolish enough to tap its strength too often, and it was all too seductive of an emotion for a Sith. Vader had learned to control it long ago, and now there was very little that could inspire that emotion in him. Arkus too would need to learn to control it and soon, before it forever enslaved him to its destructive path, the path of the Emperor. 

Vader had been working to guide the boy away from dwelling on this emotion ever since the moment he had first noticed it upon his return to Imperial Center to find him a slave to those despicable priests, but Arkus continued to meet all of his efforts with scornful rejection. The Emperor's poisoning of the boy's mind was too complete, and his scars ran too deep to be overcome in just the few moments Vader was allowed with son. Yet this girl had inspired Arkus to rein in his hate on his own. Did the boy even realize he had done it? It made little difference whether he did or not. The fact that it had occurred at all spoke volumes for the level of Arkus' attraction to her, though it was unlikely they could ever be together no matter how desperately the boy wanted it. The girl was simply too absorbed in her Rebel sympathies. 

In this way she very much like Padme, stubborn and headstrong to the point of self-destruction when fighting for her beliefs. Princess Organa even physically resembled Padme to a certain extent with those same determined brown eyes, soft features and luxuriant hair. Reminiscing on his own lost companion, Vader could easily understand his son's growing attachment to the Princess. He might even give his blessing to the union if circumstances were to change - she would likely be very good for Arkus if her viewpoint could be miraculously altered. For now, while the Empire's interests in the girl were being attended to, Vader had to ensure that Arkus maintained control of the situation without causing undesirable collateral damage. 

The Emperor had indeed created an interesting situation for his senior apprentice to handle while simultaneously testing the loyalty of Arkus. However, Vader was uniquely qualified to understand these particular circumstances and was confident he could use them against the Emperor. He had only to choose the right moments to approach Arkus and provide the necessary insights to guide his son along the proper path to enlightenment. One such a moment was in the process of developing now. Vader would wait just a few hours more before he went to his son to allow the boy some time to ponder his dilemma with the Princess. 

*****

Arkus lay back in the medical cot, trying without success to initiate a healing trance while the bacta wrap on his hand worked on repairing the damaged tissue. The constant, throbbing stings of the bone knitters had proven quite useful in keeping his agitation level under control, but now with nothing to distract him, Arkus' thoughts kept drifting back to his current situation with the Princess. There was absolutely nothing calm to be found in that line of thinking.

Why had she dared to so openly provoke him? Didn't she know the danger she was flirting with? No, of course she didn't know. No one ever did until they experienced first hand what the Force was capable of when wielded by a competent master. Better for her to learn this lesson now with him rather than later with the Emperor or Vader. They would have no patience for her impudence.

The more important question was how had she managed to anger him so? It wasn't really what she had said, Arkus knew. He had expected some resistance from her given the ordeal she had just been through, and he had been prepared to handle that. Perhaps it had just been the unfathomable level of her stubbornness to choose to suffer under Vader rather than give him any chance at all to open her eyes, to even listen to him. She had meant that declaration wholeheartedly. Arkus had felt that rejection down to the depths of his soul. 

He could understand the Princess rejecting him as a symbol of an Empire she despised. She saw the Empire's power being used to control the lesser beings of the galaxy in a manner often accompanied by suffering and believed this to be criminal. What she didn't understand was that pain and discomfort were the only things that all creatures understood, responded to, and learned from. For this reason, inflicting such punishment was a necessary component of establishing power and maintaining discipline, especially when the objective was to bring order to a naturally chaotic galaxy. 

Arkus could show her that the same level of suffering had existed in the Old Republic as a result of that government's abject failure to maintain control. The only true difference with the Empire was that now the authority was in the hands of those powerful enough to command obedience and to direct swift and proper punishment at those deserving of it. Clearly such responsibility required extensive use of the Force, for that was the only way to gain the power and insight required to rule. That level of power required a great deal of strength to control and wield effectively. The Jedi had been too weak and shackled by the enforcement of an absurd moral code that did more to restrict and control beings than anything the government ever did. Only the Sith had the necessary strength and the will to use it. Only the Emperor had mastered that strength. 

These were the arguments Arkus had been prepared to present to the Princess, but she had been unwilling to even open a dialog with him. The utter revulsion he had felt from her was now directed at him personally for his participation in her torture. He never should have agreed to conduct a second session with Vader, but he'd had little choice. Vader would never have released her to him without proof that his own methods would not work. Now because of Arkus' manipulation of her dream, she saw him as evil, though she could not possibly understand the nature of that word.

Arkus felt a spike of hatred as his personal reference for evil came to mind. Cassius. One who had taken great pleasure in torturing the helpless purely for amusement and for the gratification generated by exerting such control over another being. Arkus had rid the galaxy of that scourge by a method fitting for such a cretin and saw no evil in himself for having taken great pleasure from it. 

Nor had the Emperor seen Arkus' action as evil or even deserving of punishment. Of course, to the Master, even Cassius had not been evil but simply a teacher of a series of lessons that Arkus had needed to learn before being inducted into the Sith Order. One such lesson had been that there was evil to be found in everything and everyone, and its definition depended greatly upon one's point of view. This was the lesson Arkus now knew he had to teach the Princess, if he could just get her to listen. 

The wave of frustration that washed over him with that thought was suddenly joined by another annoying sensation. Vader was approaching with the objective of having yet another discussion. 'What now?' Arkus thought in aggravation. 'More lectures on manipulation?'

Exhaling sharply, Arkus rapidly sat up and began moving to get out of the cot when he felt his hand being dragged back by the bulky weight of the bacta wrap. He looked down in annoyance and waved his arm in the direction of the medical droid that had detected his movement. 

"Get this off of me," Arkus ordered the droid, intent on freeing up his fighting hand and getting out this medical bay. He would not appear weak before Vader.

"But sir, several more hours of treatment are needed for the injuries to be repaired," the droid protested as it began moving forward to encourage Arkus back onto the cot. 

"I don't care!" Arkus shouted in agitation. With his revived anger, he rapidly accomplished with the Force what the droid had hesitated to do, shredding the wrap's seals and spilling bacta across the floor in the process. 

The droid, perplexed by the sudden disintegration of the wrap, barely reacted in time to dodge the various components Arkus threw off of his hand. "At least allow me to fit you with a portable device," the droid offered helpfully when it became apparent that the patient was leaving.

Arkus gave the droid no response but hastily stomped out of the medical bay, flicking the residual sticking fluid from his hand as he went. He made it only out of the bay's main corridor when Vader's imposing form appeared before him. Determined to keep this conversation as brief as possible, Arkus refused to slow his pace even as the other Sith stopped to wait for him.

"You should have reported by now," Vader stated with a hint of a reprimand in his tone as his son approached him.

"I'll report when I'm ready," Arkus snapped back, shifting his path to push past Vader. 

Picking up on the boy's determination to give no useful response and finding his own patience nearly exhausted, Vader decided it was time to end his passive acceptance of Arkus' disrespect. He waited until Arkus was nearly upon him and was turning slightly to avoid physical contact before moving to block the hallway completely. The elder Sith then pushed hard against Arkus with the Force to abruptly stop his forward progress and prevent a collision. 

"You *will* answer me!" Vader commanded his son with enough Force influence to make any normal man stand at attention. 

Arkus was caught completely surprised by Vader's actions, having first failed to detect his father's intentions to stop him and then failing again to anticipate the power that would be placed behind such an effort. Forced to take a step back to maintain his balance after running headlong into Vader's shove, Arkus' defense against the mental pressure Vader exerted behind his order was somewhat delayed. He winced momentarily in discomfort until he was able to focus his anger and apply adequate counter-pressure to relieve the strain.

"What progress have you made with the Princess?" Vader demanded, pushing harder against Arkus' wall to communicate this was in no way a stalemate before backing off to allow the boy a chance to reply willing. 

Arkus applied more energy to battling Vader's attempt at forcing him into submission, growing more shocked and almost alarmed at the amount of power Vader was bringing to bear against him. He was preparing an offense of his own, thinking the two of them were finally coming to blows, when the elder Sith suddenly backed off. Hardly relieved by Vader's withdrawal, Arkus instead began to grow suspicious that this had only been a mild demonstration of previously concealed strength. His father only forced issues when he was certain he would win, otherwise preferring to bide his time until another opportunity presented itself, and Vader was clearly not backing down here. With this in mind, Arkus eyed the other warily and chose to concede rather than enter a fight without a clear understanding of his opponent's capabilities. 

"You know there has been none, or you would not inquire," Arkus responded with the first hint of grudging respect for his father. He braced for a sharp reply or a sense of disapproval from Vader but was surprised to feel only a wave of satisfaction from his father followed by a glimmer of... 'understanding? Understanding of what?'

Confused by this unexpected reaction, Arkus continued just a bit defensively. "She never should have been interrogated," he stated firmly. "It was a waste of time and has only made her will stronger. That mistake will take time to overcome before she is open to alternative reasoning."

"Time is limited," Vader warned evenly. "The Rebel's will not stay at their current base for long after losing contact with their spies. If you are unable to deliver the location soon, Tarkin will take matters into his own hands."

"And you will of course defer to him," Arkus snapped bitterly, unable to contain his disgust for the Governor and the station that man was given.

"Only because he is right," Vader countered with some tolerance for his son's frustration. Experience would teach Arkus the need and the place for such pawns as Tarkin. For now it was important that the boy not misinterpret concession as a sign of weakness or deferral of power. "This girl is our strongest link to the Rebels and our best chance at destroying them with a single blow. Fumble this opportunity and you'll be explaining your actions to the Emperor." 

Arkus drew back at the threat behind Vader's words, knowing full well the consequences he would face from his master for failing in these circumstances. "Just leave me be. I'll handle it," he acknowledged in a subdued voice. 

"See that you do. The Emperor is not as forgiving as I am," Vader added for further motivation, though the taunt was also aimed at painting Arkus' revered mentor as the true source of the command forcing such strain on his relationship with the Princess. Unfortunately, this subtly would take much more time to sink into the boy's thick skull. After waiting a moment to ensure his last words would remain fresh in his son's mind, Vader moved aside and gestured for Arkus to continue on his way.

***

Arkus departed as soon as Vader moved to permit it, shuddering involuntarily as he shook off the residual sensation of Vader's presence. He had never felt in his father the overwhelming power that had emanated from him just then, power that so closely resembled the cold, domineering, yet thrilling touch of the Emperor. The implication made Arkus more than a little nervous.

All throughout that conversation Vader had clearly indicated that he was indeed controlling circumstances here and had chosen for reasons of his own to continue to indulge Arkus for the time being. What his father had not mentioned was that he would face punishment of his own from the Emperor for this if Arkus failed to deliver the location of the Rebel base. Arkus knew Vader would not risk this if he didn't have ulterior motives and alternate plans to cover for the possibility of failure. This was not unexpected, but that little demonstration of power Vader had conducted made Arkus realize he may have completely misjudged and underestimated his father. He had no idea what Vader might have planned. 

Three times he had encountered Vader on this Death Star, and all three times Arkus had been at a disadvantage - first tired from the journey, then exhausted from the interrogation, and now handicapped by his injured hand. Arkus did not want these conditions to continue, especially given his new understanding of the situation… or lack there of. Flexing his hand experimentally as he walked, Arkus felt the stiffness and lack of full range of motion that indicated strained tendons and ligaments still required attention. As urgent as the matter with the Princess was, he first had to regain full use of his hand. 

Arkus turned to head back to his quarters to find the peace he would need to start a healing trance but then stopped dead in his tracks when he recalled that the Princess was now residing there. He still had no idea how to handle her, and the aggravation that would result from confronting her again was the last thing he needed. Yet he still did not wish for her to be returned to her cell where Tarkin might feel more apt to harass her. Shaking his head in bewildered frustration, Arkus realized that the cursed woman had managed to make him an exile from his own domain.

He just stood there for a moment, swearing under his breath in exasperation, before finally turning toward the only sanctuary he knew he still had - his fighter. He had sought escape with that ship ever since he had first conceived of the design and had always found contentment in its presence, even if it had only been in his mind. That ship was his, the one thing he truly owned and controlled. Its physical existence was his reward from the Emperor for overcoming Cassius. It was his right of passage.

He stopped again when he entered the hanger and surveyed his beautifully lethal fighter with great pride. He yearned to take it out amongst the stars where they could both spread their wings and be free of the bonds that held them in place. However, Arkus knew he could not do this now, not with Vader demanding results from him. Nor would he be able to do any meaningful work on it with only one good hand, but he could seek refuge in the cockpit.

Not bothering with the access ladder, Arkus nimbly jumped up to the open hatch and settled into his seat with a satisfied sigh. Caressing the controls with a lover's hand he sought his peace in memories of soaring through the test flights, of watching targets disintegrate in a ball of fire before him and accomplishing maneuvers with a speed and agility TIE pilots could only fantasize about. 

However, these were not the only memories that came to him. Interspersed with the glory were recollections of the price that had been paid to create his dream. He saw again the long nights he had spent secretly working in the dark with archaic computer resources or making sketches by hand on any scrap of paper he could purloin when he became desperate. He could remember scrambling to cover his work and smothering any sense of pride or satisfaction every time Cassius had approached, lest his project be discovered and destroyed. 

Then the horrible moment when Cassius did finally uncover his secret replayed in his mind. He felt again the horrified dread at the coming consequences, then relived the feeling of helpless submission and acceptance boiling way before a rising fury he had never known before or since. He saw once more the gruesome mess that had once been a man and then lay twitching at his feet in the wake of the violent release of his temper powered by years of pent up anger and hatred. 

Cassius, over and over again the image of that man sprang forth in his mind accompanied by the cold sensation of the evil he had embodied. Over and over the final confrontation played out until the fury threatened to overtake Arkus once more. These were memories he had believed were long ago forgotten and burned from his mind. Now this recent reflection the Princess had inspired in him had brought them back, and he could not forget them again. 

"No, damn it!" he shouted, pounding both fists into the console. 

Again the pain in his hand flared up, and again Arkus found some release in the sensation. As his emotions settled back to their previous level of agitation, he realized that he was in a vicious circle that would continue to spiral out of control unless he found an escape somewhere. But everything he had tried had failed or made it worse. So what was left?

He thought back to the solace the Princess had sought during the interrogation. She had found her serenity in the beauty and happiness of her childhood memories of Alderaan. Perhaps he could tap into this calm as well. Recalling the scenes her mind had played before him, Arkus once again immersed himself in the gentle flow of her memories. This time he did not seek to study them or find weakness, but just strove to feel the sensations she had recalled. Wrapped in those caring and sincere emotions, a strange warmth entered his soul, and he drifted quickly off into a deep trance of incredible peace. 


	15. Chap 15 Getting Acquainted

Chapter 15 - Getting Acquainted

Obi-Wan sat motionless in deep meditation, trying to discern some source and direction for the subtle tremors that continued to ripple through the Force. He had engaged in this effort every spare moment since the start of this journey, but he was still no closer to any definitive answers. The source was always vague and elusive, though undeniably dark and powerful. The direction was always unfocused. However, it was clear that there was a storm brewing, growing in intensity with each new disturbance that followed ever closer on the heels of its predecessor. 

With no clear images surfacing from the mire of his visions, Obi-Wan began sending tendrils of inquiry into the storm as he formulated theories of his own. Such a directed effort was not the preferred the method of seeking answers as the response was often tainted by the Jedi's expectation, but with the sense of time running short growing stronger, Obi-Wan felt justified in the decision. The starting place for his theories was easy to determine.

'Vader could be the source,' Obi-Wan put forward immediately, prodding the Force for a sense of verification as he rode the turbulent flow of the storm. That Sith Lord was certainly powerful and dark enough, and he had certainly been present for the events that had transpired over the skies of Tatooine. However, the lack of a defined direction testified against him being the only cause, for Anakin had always quickly determined his goals and driven straight at them with a conviction that would not be diverted. The Force seemed to whisper a teasing confirmation to this last thought.

'Leia perhaps,' the Jedi tested another theory. The girl did not have enough Force potential for her involvement to generate this level of sustained energy by itself, but Vader had likely captured her at Tatooine. It was possible Vader had discovered her true identity and had decided to keep this child of his rather than simply hand her over to the Emperor to be destroyed as Luke had been. A twinge in the Force seemed to tell Obi-Wan he had hit on something, but the fleeting grasp was gone as quickly as it had arrived.

Leia was involved then, Obi-Wan concluded. Vader could be planning to bring her to the dark side for an eventual attempt at usurping the Emperor. Such a scheme would likely upset the balance of the Force, and Vader's dependence on another would add the necessary uncertainty. Again though, this could not be the whole picture. The Princess had only recently been captured, and her lack of training would take time to overcome. Vader manipulating her now would not explain the speed with which the disturbance was building. Again the teasing, almost mocking confirmation emanated from the storm.

There had to be another piece to this puzzle that Obi-Wan was missing, something that would better join these elements and make everything clear. Pressing harder for answers, the only response the Jedi received from the Force was "Alderaan." He had to be at Alderaan soon to fulfill whatever the role the Force had planned for him.

Obi-Wan was probing for more insight into his own possible future when he felt yet another ripple pulse through the Force. This one brought a sensation of wakening, of life being breathed back into that which was thought dead. A calm had just been created where there had been none, but this did not serve to lessen the storm. Rather, it seemed to herald another strengthening, like the eye forming at the center of a swirling hurricane. 

The wave of the disturbance caught Obi-Wan up its flow as it washed over him and carried him gently out of his meditation. Though he opened his eyes and brought a hand up to tug at his beard, he remained self-involved in concerned consideration of this most recent development. He did not see the droids and Wookiee engaged in a hologame across the Falcon's hold area, nor did he immediately respond to the entrance of the ship's pilot.

***

Han had spent the beginning of the journey busying himself with systems checks and minor repairs, anything to stay clear of his passengers and reminders of the nature of this run. He was quite annoyed that he would have to forge another IFF identification for the Falcon after that exit from Mos Eisley. Even though he doubted the old man was the cause of the trouble - in retrospect the Imps had likely just been searching all departing ships in a routine crackdown on smuggling – Han was still considering adding the price of the new ID to the fare.

But as far as travel companions went, these three were less of an annoyance to him than Han had expected. The droids either entertained themselves or occasionally occupied Chewie with the Dejarik game. The old man had spent the majority of the time just sitting quietly by the engineering station with his eyes closed in that stoic pose, hardly taking any breaks to eat, drink, or even move. They were easily ignored, so that's what Han had done, staying mainly in the cockpit or crew's quarters and letting Chewie handle the galley duties to tend to the meager needs of their passenger.

Now the pilot had completed all the tinkering he could easily and safely accomplish in hyperspace and had verified for the umpteenth time that he had indeed lost the Imps trying to track him. He was getting bored. Even Chewie, tired of his sour mood, had abandoned him to seek company with the droids of all things. Letting out a snort of disgusted surrender, Han decided to check on the activities in the main hold. 

He approached the hold area with a strut and a cocky smile, preparing to make an entrance. "Well you can forget your troubles with those Imperial slugs. Told you I'd loose 'em," he announced smugly and looked to the occupants of the hold for some recognition as he dropped into the chair at the engineering station.

This was hardly news to Chewbacca, who chose to ignore the comment and keep his concentration on the game he was losing to the astromech, intent on finding a move to even the field. The droids likewise paid the pilot no attention. When Han looked to the old man and saw only an increase in his look of self-involved concentration, he realized he would receive no acknowledgement. 

"Well, don't everybody thank me at once," Han grumbled as he spun the chair to face the console and pretended to verify something.

Obi-Wan had heard the pilot's remark, but took no comfort in it. He knew they were going toward the heart of the storm, and that those few Imperial ships had merely been the outer rainbands. "How long before we arrive at Alderaan?" he asked without turning to the pilot.

Han looked up, surprised to hear the man speak after his uninterrupted silence since they'd fled Tatooine. "Should be tomorrow around oh two hundred hours," he replied and curiously watched Obi-Wan for a response. However, the old man just furrowed his brow deeper yet, giving no indication of having any desire to extend their brief exchange. 

Disgusted, Han started to turn back to the engineering console when Chewie suddenly began barking and howling in frustrated aggravation. Suspecting that this would provide some entertainment, he looked over at the game players and leaned back in his chair to watch the argument. 

"He made a fair move. Screaming about it can't help you," Threepio reproached haughtily.

Chewie ignored the golden droid and increased the volume of his complaints as Artoo answered back in a stream of irritated beeps. 

Han watched in amusement for a moment as his friend became more animated with his aggressive gestures before deciding to intercede. "Let him have it," he advised seriously, raising his voice to be heard over the din. "It's not wise to upset a Wookiee."

"But, sir, nobody ever worries about upsetting a droid," Threepio complained back in annoyance.

"That's because a droid don't pull people's arms out of their sockets when they lose. Wookiees have been known to do that," Han smirked, thoroughly enjoying the agitated motions the droid made in response to the veiled threat.

Chewbacca played along perfectly, leaning back and placing his arms behind his head to clearly display his powerful muscles with a satisfied grunt.

"I see your point sir," Threepio hurriedly conceded. Turning to Artoo he added more quietly, "I suggest a new strategy, Artoo. Let the Wookiee win."

Obi-Wan watched this scene play out before him, knowing full well that the Corellian and the Wookiee were bluffing to share a joke at the droids' expense. Despite all of his bravado, this pilot was a good man at heart. His current occupation as smuggler was more the result of circumstances and an easy fit to his innate abilities rather than a conscious choice. Chewbacca was a noble being, loyal to his friend without question or fault. Obi-Wan was sure the Force had brought him to these two for a reason. He let a smile cross his face as he recalled some of the unlikely companions Qui-Gon had always managed to acquire.

As Han turned back away from the game, he caught the smile creeping onto his passenger's face and was instantly annoyed. He didn't like the smug, know-it-all demeanor this man demonstrated at times and was unnerved by the withdrawn calm he affected the rest of the time. This geezer was a reserved observer, and in Han's experience, that made him potentially dangerous.

Believing that the old man was paying him no attention, Han took a moment to further study his passenger to satisfy his wary curiosity. On the surface, those weatherworn clothes he wore that covered everything save for his similarly weatherworn face made him look as old as a fossil. His lack of communication and self-involvement suggested he was not accustomed to company and was likely a hermit made crazy by the blazing suns of Tatooine. But when the man did speak it was always with authority and purpose, and his poise in the cockpit during the skirmish over Tatooine suggested the old man had seen some action in his day. Han's instincts told him one image was being projected as a disguise for the other, but which was the truth had yet to be seen.

As Han let his eyes drift over the rest of the man, he noticed an odd metallic cylinder attached to his belt and laid carefully across his lap. Unlike the rest of him, this equipment seemed to be very well cared for. Han focused on it further to attempt to discern its purpose.

"It's a lightsaber," Obi-Wan suddenly said, answering the unspoken question without having given any indication of being aware of the pilot's study. 

Han drew back in surprise at the man's unsolicited announcement. More surprise, accompanied with suspicion and doubt, followed when he recognized the name the man had given the object. "Like those Jedi used to carry," Han scoffed, though with some childhood respect for the stories he'd heard growing up.

"Yes," Obi-Wan replied and turned to meet the pilot's eyes. "Would you like to see it?" he offered.

"Ha," Han scoffed again, not believing the implication in the old man's affirmation. "Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side," he declared, dismissing the supposed lightsaber and the old legends together. 

"You don't believe in the Force," Obi-Wan stated with no hint of query in his voice.

Han was immediately put on the defensive by Obi-Wan's tone. This crazy old man was actually trying to make him believe he was a Jedi, and Han did not care to play along and get stuck in some philosophical discussion. "Look here, I've flown from one side of this galaxy to the other. I've seen a lot of strange stuff, but I've never seen anything to make to me believe there's one all-powerful force controlling everything. There's no mystical energy field that controls my destiny," he proclaimed. "It's all a lot of simple tricks and nonsense."

Obi-Wan just gave an accommodating smile. "Time will tell," he answered simply.

Han tensed in instinctive reaction to the threat he perceived in the response, but was too unsettled by the knowing expression on the man's face to call him on it. "Yeah, whatever," he mumbled and quickly got up to leave the old man and his unnerving behavior behind. 

Heading back to the cockpit to find a distraction, Han swore to himself again over the circumstances that had caused him to take this job. He couldn't be rid of that crazy old man fast enough. The pilot quickly settled back into his familiar chair and began checking the Falcon's systems and course heading once again, resolving to stay clear of his passenger for the remainder of this trip.

***

Leia emerged from the refresher and walked through the now straightened bedroom to resume her post in the front room of Arkus' quarters. His continued absence had given her plenty of time to first clean up the mess they both had made and then see to herself. Despite the circumstances, Leia had found she actually welcomed the opportunity to shower and groom herself, and she remained surprised at how well the dress he had provided for her fit. The bodice, though cut to fit snuggly about her arms and upper body, remained loose enough to allow her comfortable movement. Likewise, the skirt was full enough to allow free motion without being the least bit cumbersome. The hem was perfect, just a few centimeters off of the ground so that the material flowed easily away from her footfalls as she walked. Even the low-heeled boots were a comfortable fit.

When Leia had completed the essential conciliatory tasks and still had seen no sign of Arkus, she had at first occupied herself experimenting with hairstyles. After some time, she had decided finally to pull it completely up off of her neck in a braid that stacked circularly on top of itself about the crown of her head then trailed off in a tail that hung loosely from the back. Then with nothing left to do, she had simply waited.

Hunger had eventually prompted her to try contacting the lieutenant Arkus had offered. Leia had found that officer willing to assist her, if not overly cordial, so she had ordered enough food for two, in case Arkus did return. She had ended up eating alone.

More time had passed and boredom had overtaken her, making her bold enough to further explore her prison. There hadn't been much to find. The 'fresher was sparse but had the essential grooming items to suggest Arkus took care with his hygiene. The clothes locker in the bedroom contained a cloak and a few other articles clothing with a decided lack of variety in style and coloration. Still, he obviously wore more than just the intimidating nerfhide attire she had always seen him in. 

The front room had a desk placed close to the wall immediately across from the apartment entrance so the occupant could greet visitors from the chair. A couch and decorative table were located to the side by the entrance to the bedroom. A small table and two chairs were placed to the other side of the room. There were no decorations or personal effects anywhere to be found. Nor were there any items indicating work was accomplished here except perhaps via the computer station at the desk, which was rendered inaccessible to her by passwords. There was nothing at all to give her any insight into Arkus' character or what his intentions for her might be. Giving up her exploration in frustration, Leia had finally decided she would simply have to listen to Arkus and try to keep his focus on his personal objectives and away from the Alliance. 

She had eaten again since then and pestered the lieutenant into bringing her additional amenities, including jewelry to accent her dress and make-up to improve her appearance. She had even dared to take a short nap. Still, Arkus remained absent. 

'He has to return soon,' Leia reasoned, 'so now I'll just wait for him.' 

Settling back down on the couch, the Princess took care to neatly arrange the skirt of her dress and sat poised as if posing for Alderaan's royal court.

***

Arkus gradually eased out of his meditation, feeling incredibly rested but also vaguely nauseous. He had never gone quite that deep into a trance before, and he now took a moment to linger in the strange calm that remained in its wake. Then the queasy feeling in his stomach increased slightly and snapped him the rest of the way out of the trance with a brief flare of annoyance. The concerns that had plagued him before this rest came back into his thoughts as he shoved the nausea away with a quick brush of focused anger. He had calmed down now and was back in control of his emotions. It was time to see the Princess about that Rebel base and get Vader off of his back.

Arkus easily worked his way out of the cockpit and dropped to the ground in one fluid motion, belatedly realizing that he had just used his hand with no pain. Looking down curiously at the appendage, he began flexing it and turning it over to inspect the fluid and full motion of his fingers. It was completely healed, as if the injury had never occurred. Perplexed by the rapid recovery, Arkus reached out to get a sense of the time to check just how long he had been in that trance. It had been several hours, but no longer than he had initially estimated. 

'It must have been the depth of the trance,' he reasoned. 'Either that or the bacta treatment was worth more than I thought.'

Brushing this mystery aside, Arkus began working his way through the station's corridors to return to his quarters and the waiting princess. She was still there, he knew. Vader had not been so bold as to remove her from his control, yet. Arkus considered briefly what, if anything, he could do if it came down to that. Vader was right after all. The Emperor would not tolerate any secondary objectives interfering with the elimination of the growing Rebel nuisance. The punishment for such foolishness would be severe and would involve the utter destruction of the distraction. 

Not wanting to dwell on this thought, Arkus reached out for a sense of the Princess's state of mind to better determine the next course of action. He could feel she was apprehensive about his return, but she was far from being intimidated into surrender by the threat he had made. That outburst had served only to cause her to reconsider her own tactics. Now she was settled in her determination once more, rational and ready for their next round. 

Arkus was satisfied with this, for rational was something with which he could work. He would dispense with any attempts at pleasantries and simply reason with her. He knew where to start now: with the one vague threat he had made on Imperial Center that had affected on her – her father. That man was an easy target indeed, for even though the noble Viceroy of Alderaan might be seen by some as a hero fighting for the rights of oppressed species and systems, he was also perpetrating continual treason that served to spur on an armed rebellion. This action caused the daily bloodshed of innocents as the Empire, the legitimate government, was forced to maintain control. The large majority of beings in the galaxy would see Bail Organa's imprisonment and even his execution as justifiable if the charges against him came to light.

Now if she would submit, the Princess would have a chance to affect changes in the Empire's policies from within. A pardon could even be arranged for her father and perhaps the lesser pawns of the Rebellion if the other leaders of the Alliance where handed over and the military bases dismantled. Surely she would see this peaceful approach as preferable to open warfare. Surely she would surrender this to save her beloved father.

Arkus finalized this plan as he turned the last corner on the path to his quarters. Resolving to remain in control and not allow the Princess to rile him under any circumstances, he quickly brushed passed the guards still stationed at his door and walked determinedly into the front room. He knew exactly where she was and immediately turned toward her presence on the couch only to be stopped dead in his tracks by the sight of her. Instantly spellbound, Arkus realized he had already lost a degree of control even before the entrance door finished closing behind him.

She was absolutely beautiful sitting there with the serene expression of a queen accepting an audience, challenging him to impress her. Though this attitude still reflected her unbreakable spirit, it was quite obvious even without the Force that she had changed her outlook considerably sometime in the course of his absence. Slowly absorbing the shock of this unexpected development, Arkus gradually allowed his posture to relax as he drank in the full power of the aura now surrounding her.

Her physical appearance was nothing short of stunning with her hair pulled up and back to reveal her exquisite neck and jaw line. The subtly applied makeup supplemented her natural facial beauty by softly accenting her high cheekbones and drawing the observer's attention to her enchanting, deep brown eyes. The richly colored dress also served to heighten her attractiveness, clinging tightly to her upper body to accentuate her generous contours then flowing out around her on the couch to give the air of graceful elegance. 

Arkus noticed these things, as any man would, but it was the change in her emotional pose that struck him the hardest and drew his spirit toward hers. The intense defiance was gone, replaced by a willingness to listen, if not to agree. Her choosing to wear the dress and her obvious use of the lieutenant to obtain accessories were a concession on her part, an apology of sorts. Arkus could sense the duplicitous nature of the gesture, but that didn't matter. She had done this for him and had accepted his offer of companionship on some level at least for a time. This signal of acceptance was made all the stronger to Arkus by the outline of the black velvet wrap draped across her shoulders, seeming to caress her with the dark possessiveness he felt toward her. Enthralled by this striking image of her, Arkus couldn't quite contain the shudder that ran down his spine in response to the thrill shooting through his heart.

As the Princess rose to greet him with a royal air, Arkus suddenly felt somehow intimidated by her. He fought off the urge to take a step back, but was still unable to find his voice. Instead he just stood there, basking in her willing attention to him.

**

Leia noted Arkus' discomfort and took great satisfaction at having stunned him for a change. Apparently he was still a man underneath that cold facade and could be affected as such by the proper stimuli. The care she had taken with her appearance had given her a momentary advantage, one she would use to strip him of the mask he hid behind so she could deal with him more on her terms.

"You've been away for some time," she greeted him with a reproof. "You must want to relax. Make yourself comfortable while I order dinner for us. You'll just have time to clean yourself up before it arrives," she all but commanded, making the barest of gestures toward the bedroom.

Arkus smiled to himself, impressed by the Princess's assumption of control and quite amused by her turn about on the words he had used with her. She had submitted to his request, and now she was seeking a concession from him.

"Very well," he accepted. "Order the meal. I will just be a moment."

**

Arkus showered and took the time to shave and work on his appearance somewhat. He had already decided to forgo his mask, knowing that everything with the Princess would be a compromise. If they were to be associates she would eventually see him without it anyway. By dispensing with this barrier before she openly requested it, he was upping the ante and taking back control.

He dressed quickly in the black cloth trousers and shirt he usually wore in the confines of the Imperial Palace and gave his reflection one final inspection before attaching his lightsaber to his belt and returning to the bedroom. Hesitating slightly, almost nervously, at the door to the front room, he braced himself for her reaction then opened the door to reveal himself to the Princess.

**

Leia waited for Arkus by the conference table, the recently arrived dinner having been laid out neatly on the table before her. She stood behind one chair, directly facing the entrance to the bedroom, and kept herself prepared to greet him once more with a bit of reprimand for having taken so long in the refresher. When he finally did emerge, the scolding words on the tip of her tongue failed to form as the dramatic change in his appearance shocked her into silence.

Gone was the frightful mask and intimidating attire worn by the Sith that had entered that room. Gone was the instant impression of a cruel and evil monster. The man that stood before her was an unpretentious youth with a hint of uncertainty animating his exposed face. He looked so much younger than she would have thought possible; almost handsome, with a lithe but powerful build, strong chin, cropped sandy-blond hair, and the most captivating blue eyes she had ever seen. So much emotion was displayed in those eyes. Intense and guarded, but somehow vulnerable, they called to her and enticed her deeper into his gaze as they softened somewhat in response to her attention. 

It was apparent that not many people saw him exposed like this, that Arkus had just allowed her into an inner circle. She knew instinctively that if she rejected him now it would hurt him deeply and likely result in her death. But she didn't want to hurt him. She knew those eyes, trusted those eyes, felt drawn to those eyes. Her hardened resolve rapidly eroded as her heart responded to the call that her spirit felt, luring her to open herself to him. Becoming completely lost his stare, Leia almost forgot he was a Sith.

***

Arkus stopped in the doorway and locked eyes with the Princess, holding his defenses at bay while she inspected him. His heart all but stopped, waiting for her to deliver a stinging retort or at the very least dismiss him. But this didn't happen. Her eyes softened, and his heart melted in response. The Force connection between them opened wider of its own accord, as if it had always been there and only needed recognition to come to life. He felt their very spirits reach out for one another, their emotions resonating together in acknowledgement of their strengthening bond. The Force beckoned to each of them, drawing them closer together. 

The Princess was unaware of the source of this appeal and was defenseless against it. She was fully exposed, and was in this instant his to exploit, his to own. Arkus knew he should take advantage of her new weakness to get that Rebel base location from her. His instincts told him was time short, but as he looked at the Princess, at Leia, he couldn't do it. Tarkin and Vader be damned - he would not spoil this moment. 


	16. Chap 16 Shattered

Chapter 16 - Shattered

Tarkin was working his jaw to contain his irritation as he stared out from the overbridge of the Death Star to watch the station revert to real-space. Despite the time that had passed, there still had been no report of progress from Darth Arkus' efforts with the Princess, whatever those efforts might involve. According to the guards stationed outside the Sith's quarters, Arkus had not even been with the Princess in more than a day, having returned only recently to apparently dine with her. Though it had irritated Tarkin no end, he had kept his bargain with Lord Vader and allowed the younger Sith to keep the girl. He had not interfered while a lieutenant was made a servant for this traitorous princess, and he had not opposed the luxuries that were granted her. 

"We have entered the Alderaan system," Admiral Motti announced, then began drawing back as an unexpected scowl appeared on Tarkin's face.

This news should have delighted the Grand Moff, for the glory that would come with his planned demonstration was only moments away, but it required the presence of Princess Organa to have the full effect Tarkin was seeking. He would have already commanded a security detail to escort her here had it not been for Lord Vader's request that he be the only to handle all interactions with Arkus. Now Lord Vader's continued absence and the lack of response to the communication call that had been placed to that Sith Lord's quarters had stretched Tarkin's patience past his limits. He no longer wished to waste additional time and effort hunting down Lord Vader just to retrieve the Princess from Arkus. The Grand Moff was done with this game.

"Have Princess Leia conducted here at once," Tarkin commanded.

"As you wish," Motti replied crisply, gesturing to a handy lieutenant to carry out the order. 

***

Leia's initial swoon over Arkus' appearance began wearing off as she applied reason over her emotions. She was trying to convince herself that he was a Sith and this was likely a trick, but she couldn't quite the break the spell. Still transfixed by his intense stare, she stood frozen as he began moving toward her. 

As she focused harder on suppressing the longing she felt in her heart, Leia was suddenly jolted by a frigid blast that sliced ruthlessly through her essence, freezing the blood in her veins. The rise of unbridled fury that accompanied the chill confused her already bewildered senses until she realized that this was not her own emotion, but rather that of her companion. Arkus' expression had changed from youthful openness to a vicious scowl, his eyes gone from mesmerizing invitation to coldly cruel in an instant. 

Leia gasped sharply in terror, believing wholeheartedly that this demon was coming for her in response to her fighting his seduction. She sought what escape she could, rapidly backing as far away as the wall behind her permitted, but realized she was trapped and defenseless. With her heart in her throat, she steeled herself for the coming death.

But Arkus didn't come for her. Instead he abruptly changed the direction of his movement and charged toward the main door with such speed that Leia thought he would surely collide with it. Then the door was opened from the outside just an instant before he reached it. Leia did not see who was attempting to enter, but she heard their groans following a hard thud as Arkus flung his arm in their direction and stormed out after them. The door closed immediately behind him, and Leia was left alone again, horribly shaken by her intimate brush with Arkus' dark anger. 

***

Still engaged with Leia's eyes from the bedroom door, Arkus felt the slight waver in her emotions that signaled she had recovered from her initial shock of seeing him unmasked. Their connection in the Force was still strong, though, keeping them open to each other. He began moving to join Leia at the table, forming the opening words of their dialog in his mind, but his anticipation was disrupted when his senses suddenly flared a warning. The guards outside his door were coming for Leia, to take her from him. 

~NO!~ he mentally screamed at Vader as his most primal instincts responded with an instant rejection of this intrusion.

The surge of dark power that spawned from his emotions severed his fragile connection with the Princess and drove thoughts of her out of his immediate concerns. Intent on seeking retribution for this interruption, he greeted the guards behind the opening door with a Force blast powerful enough to throw the first man back into his companion and then slam the both of them painfully against the opposite bulkhead. Arkus held them fast there against the wall and charged after them to deliver the punishment his anger demanded. 

Bursting into the corridor fully expecting to confront Vader there, Arkus was surprised to find it deserted save for the two shocked and terrified guards. He had simply assumed his father was behind this, but the lack of his presence indicated otherwise. Vader would have come in person if he had wanted to take the Princess, not used these pathetic puppets. That meant Tarkin had to be the one behind this, (repetive) and there would be hell to pay just as soon as Arkus fully understood the situation. 

His fury temporarily curbed by his need for knowledge, Arkus decided to allow these pawns before him to live a few moments longer. He rewarded the first guard to catch his attention by pushing that man harder against the wall and lifting him off of the floor with the Force. To provide additional motivation for this man to answer him, Arkus gripped the other guard with a Force chokehold and allowed him to drop freely to the ground to flounder around, gasping desperately for air.

Addressing the pinned and trembling guard with a deadly gleam in his eye, Arkus demanded icily, "What is the meaning of this?" 

***

Darth Vader knew they had entered the Alderaan system and expected Tarkin to ask for the Princess at any moment. He was already walking toward Arkus' quarters in anticipation of that request, expecting to have some time to discuss matters with his son before removing the boy's prize. Arkus would not respond well to Tarkin's interference, and it would take a great deal of care to convince him to agree to this. Even so, Vader could not have hoped to have a better situation with which to work on his son. He was not the one disrupting Arkus' plans with the Princess, but rather Tarkin. While the Grand Moff could be easily controlled, all actions would eventually have to be explained to the Emperor. This was one point even the boy understood, and Vader would use it again to turn Arkus' frustration toward his worshiped master.

~NO!~ 

His son's angered scream exploded within Vader's mind and gave the elder Sith a clear indication of the boy's intention to seek deadly vengeance. Vader's own anger surged in response. Obviously Tarkin had gone and done something stupid to warrant such an outburst from Arkus. Now his careful planning for this discussion with the boy was for naught, and he would instead have to intervene quickly to prevent Arkus from doing something rash. Increasing his pace, Vader turned the last corner to find his son tormenting and demanding answers from the men who had been guarding his quarters.

"Stop this!" Vader ordered, putting enough Force energy behind the command to get the boy's attention.

Arkus responded by releasing the guards and wheeling violently on Vader. "I told you I would handle the Princess!" he snapped angrily, the fury rising again as he confronted his father. 

"And I warned you that Tarkin would soon take matters into his own hands," Vader thundered in reply. "You wasted too much time. Now you must let Tarkin play his game if you expect to get her back when he is through." 

The last bit of Vader's reprimand was not completely lost on Arkus, but it wasn't enough to rein in his outrage over this incident. Threat or promise, it made no difference at this point. "I had her ready to break!" he protested vehemently.

"Then submit your complaint to the Emperor," Vader waved off the objection. "I will not continue to run interference for you with Tarkin."

Arkus fixed his father with a malicious scowl, communicating that he was more than willing to handle Tarkin himself if Vader was incapable. 

"Don't underestimate the Emperor's faith in Tarkin," Vader admonished his son more calmly, shifting easily into the role of patient advisor. "This is not the time to press the issue. The Emperor expects to have the location of the Rebel base at once. He will not tolerate delays."

Arkus' temper drew back sharply at the reminder of the Emperor's wishes and the serious reprisals awaiting those who failed him. While he felt no compulsion to submit to Vader, Arkus knew he had little legitimate reason to obstruct Tarkin's plans, likely no reason at all the Master would accept. Even so, he was still unwilling to submit Leia to Tarkin's thug like techniques. 

"Her presence is required on the bridge for a demonstration. She will not be harmed," Vader explained, guessing his son's thoughts.

Arkus relaxed more at those words and the truth he sensed in them. He knew his opening with Leia had already been ruined. If this demonstration involved what he suspected, then perhaps he could use it to start over with her. Arkus continued to glare at Vader, but calmed by these thoughts, he withdrew his aggressive mental stance.

Interpreting this settling of Arkus' emotions as the closest thing to acceptance he could expect from his son, Vader immediately opened the door to the boy's quarters and entered the front room. He found Princess Leia sitting uneasily at the conference table, flinching noticeably at his entrance. He, in turn, was taken aback to see her dressed so. 'No wonder the boy is so upset,' he thought. Apparently Arkus had been making progress with her after all, but it was too late for that now.

Vader turned back to the corridor to locate the quivering guard Arkus had been questioning. "Escort the Princess to the bridge," he ordered. 

The guard immediately snapped to fearful attention at having been noticed again and then walked cautiously around the two Sith Lords to carry out his orders. Vader and Arkus silently stared at each other while he bound the hands of the unresisting princess and escorted her out into the corridor. The guard hesitated a moment there, looking at Lord Vader for any further instructions, then quickly complied with the Dark Lord's gesture for him to continue on ahead.

Vader waited until the guard and the Princess were out of earshot before addressing his son in a softened tone. "You cannot protect her from herself," he said sympathetically.

The emotion embedded in Vader's words shocked and confused Arkus more than the words themselves and caused him to momentarily forget his anger as he tried to comprehend this statement. There was that communication of understanding again, this time accompanied with a flash of past personal pain. Arkus would have believed it to be just part of another ploy, but he could sense the sincerity in his father's feelings. He was still contemplating the possible meaning of this when Vader chose to break the awkward silence.

"You may join us on the bridge to observe," Vader permitted his son in his usual grumbling manner. He then quickly departed to follow the guard and Princess. 

Still baffled by his father's behavior, Arkus remained standing in the corridor to ponder what had just transpired a moment longer after Vader left. Then dismissing the lingering confusion as inconsequential, he turned his thoughts back to Leia and went to hastily retrieve his cloak from the bedroom. He would indeed observe this demonstration and see to it that Tarkin suffered if so much as a hair on Leia's head was displaced.

***

Leia offered no protest to the shaken guard that entered Arkus' quarters to bind her hands. While Arkus' outburst had scared her senseless once more, Vader's appearance had put a much deeper fear into her heart. The only explanation she could divine for these events was that the interrogation was about to continue. She began using the few peaceful moments left to her to bolster her strength and defiance once more.

As the guard escorted her out into the corridor, Leia saw another guard unconscious on the floor and caught the combative look Arkus had fixed on Vader. She was not at all surprised when Vader simply waved her and the guard on their way without immediately following. The two Sith Lords were obviously not done expressing their differences. Leia wondered briefly what that exchange might involve and hoped that Arkus might be creating enough of distraction to buy her and the Alliance the time that was needed. However, it did not take much time for Vader to catch up with her, and it appeared to Leia that Arkus had chosen not to follow. 

Leia's unexplainable regret at Arkus' absence was soon overtaken by surprise when the turbolift she had taken with her escorts opened up to a wide and busy corridor. She immediately suspected that this was not the way to the detention block. Approaching her new destination with cautious curiosity, Leia's confusion was answered when she saw the form of Governor Tarkin staring out a viewport with his back toward her. 

An officer began to address Tarkin, but as the Governor turned to acknowledge him, he noticed Leia's approach and waved the other man off. Leia summoned her most haughty and biting attitude to greet the Governor and quickly took the initiative before she had even reached the man.

"Governor Tarkin," she scoffed caustically. "I should have expected to find you behind this. I recognized your foul stench when I was brought on board."

"Charming, as always," Tarkin responded with a twisted smile, not the least bit affected by her attempt to rile him. Reaching forward to take Leia's chin in his hand, he roughly tilted her head up and to the side as if inspecting her.

Leia responded by jerking backward to rid herself of Tarkin's touch and immediately shot him a defiant glare, drawing confidence from a new sensation in her heart. In that brief moment of contact, Leia felt more than Tarkin's hand on her face - she also felt a chill in her soul similar to the one she had experienced in Arkus' quarters, though it was more subtle this time. She knew in that instant that Darth Arkus was indeed near, watching over her once more. 

Darth Vader also caught the wave of his son's irritation through the Force. Arkus had done nothing to hide it, but rather seemed to be broadcasting the emotion as a warning. Vader replied by projecting his own warning against rash action. He did not wish to coerce his son into obedience, but he would do what was necessary to prevent the boy from creating an incident that would draw the Emperor's attention prematurely.

Tarkin was as oblivious to these telepathic communications as he was to the cloaked source lurking just outside the bridge blast doors. He released the Princess's chin when she jerked away and returned her glare with a mocking smirk. "Since you appear to be properly dressed," he began, "I thought you might enjoy participating in a ceremony that will make this battle station fully operational."

Tarkin took a moment to step away and draw the Princess's attention to the impressive sight of his overbridge with a sweeping gesture. "Today will herald the beginning of a new era of Imperial technical supremacy in the galaxy. No star system will dare oppose the Emperor now."

"The more you tighten your grip, Tarkin," Leia countered, her voice dripping with contempt, "the more star systems will slip through your fingers."

"Not after we demonstrate the power of this station," Tarkin snapped back at her. He approached Leia again, waving a finger at her with a look of sick anticipation gleaming in his eyes as he continued. "In a way, you have determined the choice of the planet that will be destroyed first. Since you are reluctant to provide us with the location of the Rebel base," he moved away once more and gestured toward the viewport, "I have chosen to test this station's destructive power on your home planet of Alderaan."

The words struck Leia's courage with a crushing blow as she gave the planet framed by the viewport her first inspection and recognized it to be her home world. Her heart plummeted and her soul trembled at this threat, causing her hardened defiance to evaporate in a wisp. "No!" she pleaded, her eyes wide with horror. "Alderaan is peaceful. We have no weapons. You can't possibly..."

"You would prefer another target, a military target?" Tarkin raised his voice harshly. "Then name the system!" he demanded.

Leia gasped at the ultimatum placed before her, unable to comprehend the full magnitude of the ramifications to follow her decision. So many lives dangled in the balance of the next few moments. She had no idea how to proceed.

Tarkin refused to give the Princess even a moment to regain her composure. Striding threateningly toward her, he pushed her back into the solid form of Darth Vader with his approach and pressed in on her until their faces nearly touched. "I grow tired of asking this," he said with cool malevolence, "so it will be the last time. Where is the Rebel base?"

Leia felt utterly trapped, physically between two imposing and evil men and mentally between two equally dark choices. Staring longingly at her beautiful home, she could see only one path that would save the lives of all she held dear. "Dantooine," she offered, locking eyes with Tarkin for just a moment before dropping her head in shameful submission. "They're on Dantooine."

Tarkin beamed with her admission. "There, you see, Lord Vader? She can be reasonable," he crowed. 

The Governor then turned his attention to Admiral Motti. "Continue with the operation. You may fire when ready," he ordered.

"What?!" Leia shrieked in shock.

"You're far too trusting," Tarkin patronized her with great satisfaction. "Dantooine is too remote to make an effective demonstration, but don't worry. We will deal with your Rebel friends soon enough," he promised.

"No!" Leia's voice trembled in horrified dread. Desperate to try anything to stop this calamity, Leia charged toward Tarkin, but Vader grabbed her shoulder and dragged her back. Pinned there, she could do nothing but watch in hellish anguish. 

**

Darth Vader doubted the Princess could do any damage to Tarkin, but he didn't want her creating distractions from the coming demonstration, either for him or for herself. As crude of a weapon as this station was, it did promise to be a tangible and immediate threat to the less insightful citizens of the Empire. Its impending use on Alderaan, a focal point of support for the growing Rebel Alliance, was about to deliver a serious blow to the Rebellion's financial and political resources and send a clear message to other less prominent and more expendable systems. Such a victory for the Empire was worthy of the Dark Lord's full attention, even if he found this ceremony to be an arrogant display designed to feed the egos of Tarkin and Motti. As for the Princess, being forced to witness this manifestation of the chaos and destruction that resulted from her rebellion would serve as a much-deserved punishment for the foolish girl. Perhaps this time she would learn a lesson.

So Vader held the Princess fast against his chest, ensuring that she too would have an unobstructed view to the fate of her planet as he prepared to assess the effectiveness of the much-touted Death Star's superlaser. In such physical contact, the waves of escalating panic flowing from the girl in his grip found their way into Vader's essence and stirred the dark energies that dwelled there, creating a sense of anticipation that he couldn't quite explain. The feeling focused his attention all the more as the Force whispered promises that this would more than just another tiresome demonstration of the latest Imperial technological achievement.

***

Darth Arkus remained hidden just outside the bridge, carefully positioning himself to be able to closely follow all that transpired between his father, Tarkin and Leia. Just focusing on Leia's situation caused the Force link between them to be re-established and drew his attention to her rather than her two tormentors. He reveled in the powerful resolve radiating from her and began to increase the strength of their connection so that he might provide support in return. Then that slime Tarkin had the audacity to grab her face.

Arkus immediately conveyed his irritation in a warning to Vader through the Force, though some of it inadvertently crossed over to his stronger connection with Leia. Vader's response was the expected admonition pressuring him to stay back, but Leia's reaction was more surprising. Instead of the fear his dark emotions had caused in her earlier, this time she seemed almost reassured by his touch. She was expecting him to keep her safe. 

Arkus' anger dissipated in response to Leia's confidence. He settled back and simply listened in slight annoyance as Tarkin bragged about his creation, then in amusement as Leia threw it back at him. He knew that Tarkin was building up to destroying a moon or planet, hoping to intimidate Leia into surrender, but even Arkus was stunned when Tarkin finally revealed his intended target. Alderaan.

His own surprise was overwhelmed by the shock wave he received from Leia. He felt her spirit quiver in terror and felt the torment in her heart as Tarkin presented his ultimatum. Arkus suppressed his own reaction, not daring to communicate anything to Leia that might affect her decision. He sensed she could not condemn to destruction the Rebellion, which she saw as the only hope the galaxy had against the Empire, but neither could she sacrifice the billions of lives of her people. She hesitated for a tortured moment, sorting through her emotions. Then with her spirit seemingly crushed, Leia uttered her answer in resignation.

Arkus knew it be a lie even before the word "Dantooine" formed on Leia's lips. He quickly checked for Vader's reaction, but if his father detected the deception, he seemed indifferent to it. Tarkin was immediately satisfied with the answer, too convinced of his prowess to contemplate the possibility of failure. 

Even so, Arkus immediately sensed that the Governor had no intention of keeping his word with Leia. He tried bracing himself for the reaction sure to come from her, but was nevertheless rocked by her mental scream of protest at Tarkin's order to Motti. Her mind was instantly filled with desperate thoughts of all those she loved whose lives were about to end. These images burnt their way into Arkus' thoughts as well, coursing through his mind in a flurry of frantic emotions screaming for mercy. 

Most of the images held no relevance for the Sith and their cries were easily brushed aside as he fought the compulsion to be drawn into Leia's pain. These people were all traitors to the Empire or pathetic beings unworthy of his notice; their suffering meant nothing to Arkus. But there was one image, seemingly so insignificant, that he did relate to and could not ignore. One trivial creature from her life whose imminent destruction pierced his callused defenses to hit a resonant cord with roots buried deep in his own past, sparking a memory from his earliest days as a slave to Cassius. The overpowering sense of alarm and mental anguish emanating from Leia so closely resembled the turmoil felt by a young boy that had been him, and its sensation now fed Arkus' torturous memories until the hellish nightmare was resurrected in full. His spirit twisted in the throes of this memory as his body tensed in horror and caused him to mentally scream out "NO!" in unison with Leia.

There was nothing he could do to prevent the coming destruction, just as there had been nothing he could do so many years before to prevent the slaughter of the one creature that had given him comfort, his one light an otherwise unbearable existence. Immobilized by the vivid emotional torment replaying from his past and by Leia's mortified dread at was to come, Arkus watched helplessly as the green hued tributary beams fired from their geometrically arranged positions to collide at the focal point. The super-laser blast was formed in perfection and lashed out to impact the beautiful jeweled planet in its path. A moment's touch from that laser was all it took for the energy transfer to blow the planet apart in a magnificent explosion, shattering two worlds.


	17. Chap 17 Fallout

Chapter 17 – Fallout

Darth Vader actually shivered from the exhilarating sensations coursing through his being as he was swept up in the unexpected rush of malevolent power that surged out from the billions of instantaneous deaths at Alderaan's destruction. The dark side of the Force actually seemed to open up and sing with the screams of those dying souls, injecting the empty soul of its loyal servant with overwhelming dark glory and reminding him of just what it meant to be a Lord of the Sith. All else was momentarily blocked out of Vader's perception as he savored the remaining moments of dark intoxication. 

The near collapse of the Princess before him brought Vader back to the scene on the bridge. He prevented her fall only by virtue of the proximity of his massive form to hers, and grabbed her arm to steady her against him more out of reflex than any desire to prevent her from hitting the floor. Her spirit was shattered by what she had witnessed, her mind going into shock as she tried to fathom the destruction of her planet and all that she held dearest. 

Tarkin was gloating, exhilarated by the successful demonstration of his perceived power. Even in his own imaginings, he hadn't anticipated the result being quite so spectacular. "I have finished with Her Former Highness of Alderaan for now," he addressed Lord Vader. "You may return her to Darth Arkus for his pleasure." 

Vader braced for the blast of fury sure to come from his son in response to that taunt, but was surprised when he felt no reaction. Turning toward the bridge entrance where he had sensed Arkus' presence earlier, Vader reached out to him through the Force, but found nothing. Somewhat perplexed by his son's absence, he concluded that Arkus was likely off sulking somewhere over Tarkin's success at obtaining an answer from the Princess. A shame the boy had missed such a magnificent display, but youthful pride often interfered with appreciating the accomplishments of others. The boy would learn more temperance with age and maturity.

Vader gestured for two guards to take the Princess from him. Releasing her to their custody, he watched as they guided the dazed princess off of the bridge, curious as to whether she had actually told Tarkin the truth. He would be disappointed in her if she had. His plans to turn Arkus against Palpatine would be greatly facilitated if she continued in her defiance.

***

Obi-Wan was deep in meditation once more, still searching for insight into the cause of the rumblings in the Force, when the shock wave from Alderaan's destruction hit him without warning. He was so immersed in the flow of the Force that he was nearly rendered unconscious by the explosion of screams that burst into his mind and the blast of dark energy that impacted his spirit, physically knocking the breath out of him. Obi-Wan's eyes flew open in shock as he clutched his chest and began gasping for air.

Threepio, who had been in a state of power conservation, noticed the sudden motion across the hold. Hoping someone had finally taken an interest in him, he quickly brought his systems back to full operation and turned his attention toward the source of the movement. His processor immediately registered alarm at the sight of Obi-Wan. 

"Oh my! Master Kenobi!" Threepio yelped. "Master Kenobi, are you functional?" 

The only response he received from the now slumping man was a labored groan. As panic began to overtake his circuits, Threepio moved toward the Jedi as quickly as his ungraceful form would allow to render what aid he could. "Captain Solo? Chewbacca?" the droid called desperately. "Somebody, help me!!"

Artoo also observed the obviously distressed human and quickly added his own whistling shrieks to Threepio's calls as he sped off in the direction of the cockpit to retrieve the pilot.

**

Han was stretched out contentedly in his pilot's chair, lazily staring out at the mesmerizing light show created by the distortions of hyperspace, when the uproar from the hold echoed up the corridor and rudely interrupted his tranquility. He knew the continued silence of his passengers had been too good to be true. Now it appeared they were making up for their previously sedentary behavior.

Han tried ignoring the commotion, hoping that perhaps the astromech had bested Chewie in the hologame and was now suffering the threatened consequences along with his pompous counterpart. But the screams of the little droid were piercing and growing louder, causing Han to grudgingly realize he would not escape this interruption. Cursing in irritation, he swung about and pushed himself up out of the chair to head for the hold.

"What is it?" Han barked at Artoo when he encountered the droid in the corridor. 

Artoo responded with a string of beeps and whistles that managed to communicate his alarm as he wheeled about to lead the pilot to Obi-Wan. 

Han followed the little droid and felt of rush of dread when he caught sight of the old man nearly doubled over, pale as a ghost and gasping for air. "Shavit!" he exclaimed as he ran the rest of the way to Obi-Wan. "Chewie! Chewie get up here!" he hollered.

"Easy, there," Han tried comforting Obi-Wan while he waited for Chewbacca. He stared intently at the old man as he knelt before him, trying to discern what the problem might be. "You got a heart problem or something?" he asked.

"I'm fine," Obi-Wan responded weakly.

"Like hell you are," Han quickly countered, then turned to Chewbacca who had just returned from preparing the evening meal in the galley. "Chewie, help me get him to the medical station." He wasn't sure what good could be done with the meager medical supplies he bothered to maintain on the Falcon, but Han was not about to let his passenger die before he reached Alderaan and collected the fare. He doubted whatever source the old man had there would pay that fee for passage of a corpse and two annoying droids.

Grunting in agreement with Han's assessment, Chewie immediately set down the tray of food he had been carrying and quickly moved to help his friend start lifting the old human.

"No," Obi-Wan protested more forcefully as the two pilots started dragging him up. Sensing the powerfully dark disruption had settled out somewhat, the Jedi reached out to draw strength from the Force and managed to regain some composure. "I'm fine. I just need to sit for a moment," he insisted, pushing away the offered aid.

Noting the sudden improvement in the old man's condition, Han reluctantly backed off. Whatever it was, the worst seemed to have passed. "Chewie, get him some water," Han gestured to the tray now sitting on the engineering console. 

As the Wookie complied, Han turned back to Obi-Wan. "So what the hell was that?" he asked, wondering if he should expect another spell to strike his passenger in short order.

"The Force…," Obi-Wan replied, still catching his breath. "There's been a great disturbance in the Force. Something terrible has happened," he explained. That was one thing Obi-Wan knew to be true, but he couldn't begin to fathom what that something was. The screams had been like millions of voices crying out in terror only to be suddenly silenced; the shock wave of dark energy had been of such proportion as to defy description. There had been an incredible surge of protest, of tormented anguish spurring powerful emotions strong enough to tear a rift in the Force. It seemed as though the very structure of the Force balance had just been violently shifted. Things were not as they had been. "I'll be fine," he added, sensing the pilot's continued concern. 

Han looked skeptically at the man before him. The geezer was definitely recovering, though. Now it looked more like he'd just taken a gut punch. "Yeah right," Han scoffed, affecting his aloof attitude to quickly divert the subject away from more of this Force gibberish. "Just don't die on me. I don't want to have to stuff your corpse in the airlock for the rest of this trip then spend a week scrubbing it out."

Obi-Wan disregard the pilot's sarcastic comments. "How long before we reach Alderaan?" he asked, more concerned than ever about reaching his destination.

Han had been all but counting the minutes and knew the answer without having to look. "'Bout twelve hours still," he responded, hoping his passenger's anxiety about reaching Alderaan did not revolve around having enough time to make his own funeral arrangements.

Obi-Wan nodded gravely at the answer and waved the pilot off. "You'd best go back to the cockpit," he suggested after gratefully accepting the water from Chewie.

Han was put-off by the almost commanding tone in the old man's voice. Who was this geezer who thought he could order him around on his own ship? Still, Han was all too willing to escape his presence. Swearing he would find a way to squeeze more speed out of the Falcon before ever taking passengers again, he turned abruptly to grab up one of the dinner plates Chewie had prepared and strode off toward the cockpit. A quick review of what would pass as rations that night turned his mood more sour yet.

"The Force, like hell," Han muttered to himself. "More likely a disturbance from Chewie's cooking." 

***

Leia just stood dazed for a moment in the center of the front room of Arkus' quarters. She was vaguely aware that the guards had escorted her there and then left her alone once more, truly alone this time it seemed. Her life had just been destroyed. Everyone and everything that she had truly cared for were now just gone. How could she begin to comprehend this? The death of her father and her family was unbearable enough, but not only were the people gone, not only was her home destroyed. Each and every living creature that she had shared her world with, the very ground she had walked on, the air she use to breathe, all were inconceivably gone. She was absolutely numb from trying to grasp the enormity of this loss.

There was no support, no comfort, to be found anywhere. Everything she had previously used for strength, all of her memories, now only compounded the pain. She couldn't allow herself to succumb to these feelings though. If she did, there would be no way she would be able to resist another interrogation, and there would likely be another interrogation just as soon as Tarkin discovered that Dantooine was a dead end.

Leia did find strength in that thought. Alderaan was dead but the Alliance still lived. Her father and all that Alderaan had stood for still lived on in that hope for the galaxy. The death of her world would not be without purpose as long as the spark of rebellion against tyranny lived on. This was her life now, and she would die to protect it. 

The declaration brought back some of the strength of her resolve and offered enough solace to her shocked emotions for her begin a healing grieving. Pulling the wrap of her dress closer about her to try to find some warmth in its soft touch, she collapsed onto the couch and began to softly cry.

***

Arkus leaned back against the bulkhead where he had collapsed, thoroughly drained by a violent bout of retching. Trembling uncontrollably from the physical shock of this episode, he was now hesitant to draw on the Force for re-enforcement. His mind was still reeling from the overwhelming punishment his once reliable source of energy had just wrought upon him. 

It had not been the Force shock wave from all of those instantaneous deaths that had affected him so. He had already retreated behind his old fortified mental barriers to hide from the agony of his own painful memories long before the planet had been destroyed. Those barriers had provided a substantial shield against the burst of tormented screams, and had left him relatively unscathed by its passing. However, the old barriers had not been constructed to block out the Force connection that he had always shared with his father. Nor did they serve to suppress the empathetic connection that had developed between him and Leia. 

Arkus had been too absorbed with fending off the images from his past for the thought of insulating himself against Leia's and his father's reactions to Alderaan's destruction to even enter his mind. Those two diametrically opposed reactions had impacted him simultaneously with almost equal force, each demanding a sympathetic response from him. His father's overpowering exultation had called to Arkus' Sith nature, sweeping him up in the victorious surge of dark energies as Vader reveled in the unbelievable rush of malevolent power. Leia's overwhelming agony at the shocking loss of all she loved had cried woefully out to the spirit of a long lost boy who could understand that loss, capturing his wounded soul and dragging it with her as she passed through a hellish wave intense of anguish.

Colliding violently in his already tormented mind, the Force enhanced conflicting emotions had torn through Arkus' exposed heart and viciously wrenched his spirit in two. His body too had been wracked by the physical manifestations of the mental battle, his head exploding in a roar of blinding pain and his gut churning in revolt to the turbulent storm of contradictory sensations. Too overwhelmed to fight against the rivaling demands on his own emotions, Arkus had fled from the bridge in an attempt to escape the torture, and had some how managed to find this secluded alcove before collapsing in shock. 

Now he was finally regaining some physical composure, though he was still quite dizzy and disoriented. He would recover from this mentally too, he knew, and emerge stronger for it just as he had done with every adverse development in his life. But Leia, she had lied. Tarkin would discover it all too soon and demand the only punishment his ego would accept - termination. Vader would likely agree with that sentence. There was no way she would ever willingly give up the Rebel base now, no matter what argument was presented to her, and both Vader and Tarkin knew the interrogations to be worthless. She was of no use to the Empire now, and the Emperor would not permit the continued existence of one so capable of revolt. Leia would be destroyed. There was nothing Arkus could do to prevent it. 

He could feel her now, crying out in misery and seeking any solid foundation upon which to fasten her shattered spirit that she might be able to cope with the magnitude of her loss. His spirit so longed to answer to her cry, to offer what comfort he could. What a strange feeling this was. He could vaguely remember feeling it before, oh so long ago before his epiphany. Such pain this feeling brought - not physical pain that could be turned into dark power, but a debilitating mental anguish. It weakened him and clouded his judgement. No wonder he had turned his back on such emotions. They brought nothing but heart wrenching pain.

And why should he care about the fate of this princess? She had done this to herself, rejecting all attempts at reason and fighting the call that would lead her to true power. Despite her potential, she would never be a Sith. Even now, when she had such justifiable reasons to hate, she chose to cling too tightly to the weaker emotions of grieving and consolation. She deserved to die for her stubborn impudence and most especially for her weakness. 

Yet Arkus couldn't shut off this need to hold Leia and attempt to console her battered spirit. But how could he comfort her? By telling her that she would soon be joining her lost family in death? By saying that this was a necessary consequence of her rebellious deeds? 

Moaning in misery, Arkus closed his mind in on itself to hide from all of the universe and covered himself physically with his cloak as he slunk deeper into the recess in which he had found refuge. He had nothing to offer Leia, and he certainly couldn't face her, couldn't watch as such a treasured companion was destroyed. He could not live through that again. Wrapping his arms around his knees and burying his face, Arkus prayed it would all be over before he had to emerge.

***

Palpatine hissed in indulgent satisfaction as the last of the tormented screams died out in his mind. Governor Tarkin had obviously chosen to test his new creation on a populated planet, a rather densely one it seemed, with magnificent results. The Emperor's only complaint was that he had not been given notice prior to the destruction. He would have to speak with the Governor about that oversight. While this little bit of delicious dark ecstasy had been a most gratifying occurrence in an otherwise dull day, Palpatine desired time to prepare himself to enjoy the experience more thoroughly the next time such glorious death was brought down upon his subjects.

The Emperor wondered in idle curiosity which planet Tarkin had chosen. It would have been a worthy target, the Emperor was sure; he had complete trust in Tarkin's judgement in that regard. However, he was interested to know which Rebel nuisance had been eliminated. A quick tendril of inquiry sent through the Force provided the answer – Alderaan, a worthy target indeed. The destruction of that prominent planet and the sickening, peace-loving peoples that had dwelled there would send a most powerful message to other systems contemplating voicing such open objections to his leadership. And it just happened to be the home planet of Arkus' Rebel princess.

Most interesting, that; it certainly wasn't a very likely coincidence. Most probably this had been a consequence of the girl not cooperating in her interrogation, as Arkus had predicted she would not. The building tension the Emperor sensed between father and son provided adequate confirmation for this. Their clashing of wills was generating quite a disturbance in the Force, the rift between them having grown far too wide for any reconciliation to be possible. It wouldn't be long at all before the matter came to blows. Only two Siths would survive the coming power struggle, and the Emperor had no doubt which two those would be.

These contented thoughts of the Emperor were abruptly interrupted by a concerned query from his dearest subject. Mara Jade was checking on his well-being and seeking insight into the disturbance she had just felt. Her limited training had only allowed her to sense the most peripheral edge of that power surge, and in her naivete she had interpreted it as a threat. She was looking to protect him as she had been trained to do.

A pity the girl could not be trained to fully enjoy such pleasures. In another time perhaps, she would have been a most worthy apprentice, but her power was nothing compared to the Skywalkers'. Still, Mara Jade would hold a most prestigious place in Sith history as the first mother and protector of the immortal master.

~It is nothing to concern yourself with, My Dear,~ the Emperor reassured his future guardian. ~Merely a small step toward a grand and promising future for the Empire.~


	18. Chap 18 Unexpected Company

Chapter 18 – Unexpected Company

The cockpit of the Millennium Falcon was once again a center of activity as the ship neared the Alderaan system, and these conditions did wonders to improve her pilot's mood. Expecting to be rid of his passengers and in possession of the remainder of the transit fee within a few hours, Han was in the familiar position of hovering over the navigation station while Chewbacca managed the helm as the hyperspace counter timed out. 

"Stand by, Chewie, here we go," Han called out coolly. "Cut in the sub-light engines."

Chewbacca made the necessary adjustments to disengage the hyperdrive, and the expected starlines immediately appeared outside the cockpit. Han turned to slide back into his pilot's chair to prepare for their approach to Alderaan, but instead of the graceful image of the fertile planet appearing to greet them, the surrounding space resolved itself to reveal a deadly storm of asteroids hurtling toward them out of the nothingness. Huge chunks of rock began battering at the ship, rocking the freighter violently from the barely deflected impacts before either pilot or co-pilot had a chance to register the danger. The only thing that saved the ship from being immediately pummeled into oblivion was Han's cautious practice as a veteran smuggler to always come out of hyperspace with the shields fully powered. 

"What the..?!" the thoroughly shocked pilot exclaimed as he hurriedly grabbed for the Falcon's maneuvering controls. Instinctively suppressing the moment of panic that might have overtaken a less experienced pilot, Han immediately adjusted their course to move the ship out of the expanding debris field, but his dismayed confusion remained.

"Aw… we've come out of hyperspace into a meteor shower. Some kind of asteroid collision," he ventured a stuttering explanation to his equally shocked copilot as the two struggled to keep the ship in one piece long enough to escape the hazard. "It's not on any of the charts." 

Han knew that to be true from the countless hours he had spent repeatedly going over their plotted course during this boring journey, just as he knew there had been no mistake in the jump calculations. Yet at the first opportunity he spared a moment to verify the navigational readouts. The data only showed what he already knew to be true. "Our position's correct, except…no Alderaan," he announced in bewilderment.

Chewie howled in aggravated frustration at the impossibility of that conclusion, refusing to accept it and pressing Han for another explanation as the Falcon passed out of immediate danger. 

"I don't know!" Han responded, irritated. "It's just not there. It's been totally blown away."

"Destroyed… by the Empire," a voice proclaimed from behind the pilot. The tone of the Jedi's voice contained an interesting mixture of certainty and astonishment as he surveyed the devastation through the cockpit. Obi-Wan could not begin to fathom how such an atrocity could be accomplished, but the voices lingering here cried out "MURDER!". There was only one entity in this galaxy capable of perpetrating this level of vile deeds.

"Impossible!" Han immediately dismissed the declaration from his crazy passenger, annoyed once again that the old man had slipped into the cockpit uninvited. "The entire starfleet couldn't destroy the planet. It would take a thousand ships with more fire power than I've…"

An alarm sounded from the sensors' board, interrupting Han's retort and immediately snapping his attention away from his passenger. "There's another ship coming in," Han announced seriously to Chewie. Convinced of the unfriendly nature of their visitor by the targeting lock the sensors had detected and the lack of a hailing call, the pilot immediately activated the Falcon's automated cannon fire to the harass the fighter as it overtook them. While this did encourage the other ship to flee rather than engage the larger freighter, the small fighter was much too agile to be destroyed so easily.

"It's an Imperial fighter. Short range," Obi-Wan concluded just before the readouts from the sensors provided Han with the same information.

"There aren't any bases around here. Where'd it come from?" Han demanded from no one in particular, too concerned with the implications of the fighter's presence to worry about how Obi-Wan had known of its origin.

"It couldn't have gotten this deep into space on its own," Obi-Wan replied, growing more apprehensive as the fighter sped away. The hairs on the back of the Jedi's neck were beginning to stand on end as the Force warned him of the TIE pilot's intentions. "Let it go," he advised. "It's already identified us and will report soon."

"Not if I can help it," Han snapped back. "Chewie, jam it's transmissions. Increase power to the sub-light engines and lay in a pursuit course," he ordered, determined to catch the fighter and eliminate the concern.

Chewbacca complied without comment, and the Falcon slowly began closing the distance to the TIE racing at full speed away from them. Obi-Wan stared intently into the ether as the chase ensued, trying to gain a grasp on the elusive taunts and warnings permeating the Force. The dark side was strong here, seeming to dovetail through the exhaust of the fighter ahead of them to lead them onward toward some new menace.

Off in the distance, a glowing orb was growing steadily brighter, marking it as the destination of the determined TIE pilot.

"Looks like its heading for that moon. There must be an Imperial base there," Han concluded, though in the back of mind this thought conflicted with his knowledge of galactic topography. According to the charts, Alderaan had no moon. Han dismissed the incongruity as immaterial at the moment. They'd be out of there just as soon as the fighter was destroyed, and the distance was closing more rapidly now. "I think I can get him before he gets there… He's almost in range."

Obi-Wan gave the object a deeper inspection, and reached a different a conclusion as to its nature. The Jedi could feel the artificial quality of the energy emanating from every element of that creation, and the Force whispered that there was the means by which the Empire's agents had wrought such horrific destruction upon the peaceful of world Alderaan. "That's no moon," he declared in dread. "It's a space station."

"It's too big to be a space station!" Han objected, though that rejection trailed off to awe as he inspected more closely the object quickly growing larger in the viewport. The glow coming from that sphere was different than any light reflections Han had ever seen coming off a natural body, and the features he had initially taken for crater impacts and large rifts or mountain ridges now seemed far too regular in their outlines to be geographic formations. His eyes grew wide and his mouth gaped slightly as he continued to study the object, seeking any explanation for what he was seeing that would fall more neatly into what he considered feasible.

"Turn the ship around," Obi-Wan commanded, his usual calm demeanor more animated with worry and insistence. 

"Yeah… I think you're right," Han slowly conceded, deep concern now filling his thoughts also. If that thing were truly a weapon of the Empire and the ruin of Alderaan was evidence of what it left in its wake… Like a switch, Han snapped out of his awestruck inspection and translated his growing anxiety into action. "Full reverse, Chewie. Lock in the auxiliary power," he commanded with conviction as he began his own efforts to bring the ship about at all possible speed.

The Falcon bucked in response to these actions, setting off systems' alarms and making it immediately apparent that something was wrong. The violent shuddering that followed, coupled with Han's inability to even slightly change their heading, told the pilot that the difficulties were caused by a tractor beam lock on the ship. That development in and of itself was not enough to cause overt alarm in the seasoned smuggler as Han had broken out of such traps before by applying the proper amount power and finesse. Convinced that at this range the lock could not be that solid, he was confident in those first seconds that he could do so again. However, that confidence began to quickly erode as Han's best attempts succeeded only in amplifying the freighter's shudders.

"Chewie! Lock in the auxiliary power!" Han repeated more forcefully as he realized that his copilot had become otherwise occupied before completely fulfilling his orders.

This time Chewbacca broke off from his attempts at managing the Falcon's straining systems for the moment it took to carry out that order, but the additional power still did nothing to slow their approach to the enormous space station. Instead, the protesting whine of the Falcon's engines achieved an ominous level, and previously borderline systems began sounding their overload klaxons.

"It's too late," Obi-Wan whispered softly, mostly to himself as he became the first to accept their fate. "They have us."

"Shavit! And there's nothing I can do about it!" Han cursed in frustration as he gave his systems' readouts one last review and assessed the failures to be imminent. "I'm going to have to shut down," he conceded as he quickly performed the necessary actions. Yet a defiant gleam remained in his eyes when he set his glare on the station housing his captors. He had lost this round, but he'd be damned if he was just going to surrender. "They're not going to take me without a fight," he vowed.

"It's a fight you can't win," the Jedi admonished mildly, "but there are alternatives to fighting."

The pilot turned to eye his passenger suspiciously. He had that over-confident look about him again that set Han so on edge. Still, the old man apparently had a plan, which was more than Han could say for himself at the moment.

***

Vader stood by the large oval table that swallowed most of the space in Tarkin's conference room, alone with the Governor as the two of them reviewed the reports of the hapless ships that continued to enter the Alderaan system. The vessels that were not immediately destroyed by the wild asteroid field that now existed in place of that planet were ordered to heave to for Imperial inspection. The majority of those ships were quickly released after minimal harassment once the command crew was provided a clear explanation for the cause of the planet's absence. By this method, Tarkin was ensuring the tale Alderaan's demise would quickly spread to the farthest reaches of the Empire, but there was very little in these records to garner the Dark Lord's interest. Vader was glad for the interruption of an officer entering to deliver a report.

"Yes?" Tarkin inquired, looking up from his desk to address the junior officer now standing at attention before him.

"Our scout ships have reached Dantooine," Officer Cass began with military formality, his voice devoid of all emotion. "They found the remains of a Rebel base, but they estimate that it has been deserted for some time. They are now conducting an extensive search of the surrounding systems."

The officer quickly nodded in respect at the conclusion of his brief report and took the darkening look of fury Governor Tarkin was aiming at Lord Vader as his cue to depart. As the doors closed behind Cass, Tarkin bolted out of his chair in barely controlled anger.

"She lied! She lied to us!" he hollered at Vader in outraged disbelief. 

Vader smiled to himself, very pleased that the young woman had not disappointed him. "I told you she would never consciously betray the Rebellion," he gloated.

Trembling with his rage at both the girl and Vader's calm acceptance of her deception, Tarkin strode around the table to confront the Dark Lord that had also failed to obtain any useful information. "Terminate her... immediately!" he ordered.

"Calm yourself, Governor," Vader advised him patiently. "She is still the only link we have to the Rebellion. Would you destroy that so casually?"

"Faugh!" Tarkin hissed back. "You just said it yourself. She'll never give us that base willingly. Your interrogations have proven worthless, and Arkus seems more concerned with other attributes she possesses. She is of no value to us now and must be punished appropriately for her treason."

An insistent beep from the communications terminal distracted Tarkin from his tirade, and gave the Governor some small outlet for his frustration as he reached over to roughly acknowledge the page from one of the table's secondary terminals. "Yes, what is it?" he demanded irritably of the caller.

"We've captured a freighter entering the remains of the Alderaan system," a voice responded instantly. "Its markings match those of a ship that blasted its way out of Mos Eisley."

"They must be trying to return the stolen plans to the Princess," Vader declared, quickly seizing the opportunity before the Governor could comment. "She may yet be of some use to us."

Tarkin removed his finger from the audio send button and paused to contemplate this possibility for a moment before grudgingly conceding the point with an exasperated sigh. "Very well," he said to Lord Vader. "Investigate this, but the order to terminate will stand unless you discover something of value," he insisted as he waved the Dark Lord off to pursue his new task.

Pleased that the captured ship's timely arrival had provided such a convenient excuse to belay Tarkin's irrational order concerning the Princess, Vader once again allowed the Governor some illusion of authority in this matter with a strained fractional nod to acknowledge his wishes. The Dark Lord did, of course, have a genuine interest in discovering what information the captured ship might yield on the still missing Death Star plans, and most especially in how that information might be used to aid in his own exploitation of the Princess. It was these thoughts that added purpose to his stride as he left the Governor to join up with a commander from the bridge and head for the relevant docking bay.

The size of the station made the pair's journey to the bay long enough to justify the initial boarding of the ship being executed in their absence, but as they approached their destination something at the edge of Vader's consciousness began nagging at him, making him question the wisdom of that decision. Finding that the situation appeared to be well under control upon his arrival did little to assuage his concern. There was something here, taunting him through the Force and clearly communicating that there was more to this ship than was readily apparent. 

He halted at the base of the ramp leading into the freighter, studying the dilapidated vessel with acute interest as he awaited the officer in charge of the boarding party. That officer, flanked by several heavily armed troops, exited the ship shortly thereafter and immediately approached Lord Vader to deliver his report.

"There's no one on board, sir. According to the log, the crew abandoned ship right after takeoff." Suspecting this to be disappointing news to the Dark Lord, the officer attempted to redeem himself by offering his explanation. "It must be a decoy, sir. Several of the escape pods have been jettisoned."

Vader was indeed unsatisfied with the report, but somehow unsurprised at it. "Did you find any droids?" he inquired as he continued his own scan of the ship using the Force.

"No, sir," the officer quickly replied. "If there were any on board, they must also have jettisoned."

Only half listening discontentedly to the officer before him, Vader focused harder on a fleeting sensation that had caught his attention only to disappear again without a trace. It had just been a glimmer, but it served to remind him of a presence from his past that he had long believed extinct. The feeling deeply disturbed Vader and filled him with the infuriating sense that something of vital importance was being overlooked.

"Send a scanning crew on board. I want every part of the ship checked," Vader ordered the commander that had accompanied him. "Report any findings to me at once."

"As you wish, My Lord," the commander immediately concurred, coming to full attention at the frightening tone in Vader's voice.

Darth Vader grumbled in annoyance as he sensed these efforts would be unsuccessful. There was something powerful behind this, and answers would not be found in a timely manner by conventional means. Whirling about in agitation, Vader stalked out of the docking bay to head for his meditation chamber. The Sith Lord would seek his own insight through the Force.

***

The stormtroopers searching the Millennium Falcon were thorough in their task, but they remained unaware of the smuggling compartments hidden beneath the decking panels of the ship's main corridor. Han crouched silently within one of those compartments with his pistol drawn, listening intently to the heavy footfalls of the Imperials as they progressed through his ship. The moments of anxious waiting passed by slowly for the pilot, and the feel of the hot breath of his Wookie friend sharing the confined space only added to the tension of the situation. Not that Han minded being in such close quarters with Chewbacca. The two of them had certainly been in such tight spots before, and in this instance the arrangement would give them at least a chance at taking out the first group of troops should they be discovered. But the pilot was disinclined to hiding like this in the first place. Feeling trapped and just a little cowardly for employing this tactic, Han nevertheless had to admit that the old man's plan seemed to have bought them some time and perhaps the element of surprise.

After several moments of silence throughout the ship, Han strained to lift the cover off the compartment and cautiously peered out. He was greeted only by the sight of Obi-Wan shoving a similar cover off of the compartment he had hidden in with the droids. Convinced they were safe for the moment, Han pulled himself clear of his hiding place to give Chewbacca sufficient room to stand up, then turned to address the old man.

"This is ridiculous," Han scoffed. "All you've accomplished is to smuggle us into the most heavily outfitted space station I've ever seen. Even if I could take off, I'd never get past the tractor beam." 

"Leave that to me," Obi-Wan replied confidently as he began working himself out his own compartment.

"Damn fool. I knew you were going to say that," Han snapped bitterly.

Obi-Wan looked back at the pilot with a mischievous smirk. "Who is the more foolish... the fool or the fool who follows him?" 

Han replied with a scowl to which Obi-Wan admonished more seriously, "Enough of this nonsense. Either you trust me or you don't. We don't have much time." 

Han tried staring down the old man, but when Chewbacca emerged and howled his concern, he conceded that this was not the time to alienate even a crazy ally. Besides, they were dead already by any sane consideration of the situation. Maybe a little insanity was called for so long as it didn't require surrender. "Okay, old man, but Chewie and I will handle the scan crew when they show up."

"Just what I was going to suggest," Obi-Wan agreed. "But see to it that you do so quietly."

Content to have won this minor point from his recalcitrant passenger, Han let the unsolicited advice slide. He simply dismissed Obi-Wan with a gesture to take his droids into hiding somewhere while he and Chewbacca prepared to lay in wait for the scanning crew sure to be coming. They didn't have to wait for long. Soon a muffled discussion could be heard at the base of the boarding ramp followed by the entrance of footfalls decidedly light when compared to those of the stormtroopers.

The two technicians boarding the ship had barely managed to haul their cumbersome equipment case into the main corridor when Chewbacca ambushed them from a connecting passageway. Caught totally unaware, neither man had an opportunity to call out before the powerful Wookie reached out and smashed their two heads together, shattering both of their skulls. Only the loud bang of the equipment case crashing to floor provided any indication that something was wrong.

Han quickly seized on the opportunity to lure the guards in as well. "Hey down there, could you give us a hand with this?" he called out and was soon rewarded with the approach of the stormtroopers.

This time Han met the intruders at the top of the ramp with a brief burst of blaster fire. The stormtroopers never had a chance to return fire, and there were no frantic calls from the landing bay to suggest anyone had noticed the disturbance. Satisfied with his accomplishment, Han turned to his passenger now emerging from the hold, expecting to receive some acknowledgement, but instead the old man was wincing in apparent response to the noise, though he gave no verbal reprimand. The insulted pilot was preparing a defensive retort, but Obi-Wan seemed to dismiss his misgivings and pushed on to the next problem before Han could form any words.

"You'll need to put on that armor," Obi-Wan commanded, pointing to the fallen stormtroopers. "Those guards won't be missed be for long, and you'll be able to provide a distraction for Chewbacca and me to take the bay control station."

There it was again, that automatic assumption of control accompanied by a confidence that made arguing with the old man seem a futile endeavor. To add to the effect, the Jedi moved past Chewbacca and strode down the ramp before either smuggler had a chance to protest his plan. Dumbfounded, Han simply looked after him for a second then gestured to the concerned Wookie to follow before the old man went and did something stupid. 

Watching Chewbacca depart to assist in the assault did little to increase Han's confidence in their chances, and Threepio emerging from the hold worsened his outlook still more. He greeted the droid's pose of confusion with a scowl and addressed it irritably before it could speak. "Get outta here. I don't want to look at you."

"Yes, sir," Threepio replied hurriedly, managing to sound insulted in the process. "Come on, Artoo. You'd better follow me," he then advised his counterpart, and the two droids quickly moved down the ramp under Han's silent glare.

Left alone on-board the Falcon, Han cursed continuously under his breath as he began his struggle to remove the least damaged armor from its previous owner, then don it himself. Curling his lips in disgust, he saved the musty helmet for last and situated it on his head just moments before the comlink embedded inside crackled to life.

"TK-421 why aren't you at your post. TK-421, do you copy?" a voice barked at him.

Han played his role in this ridiculous ruse, descending the ramp and signaling a comm failure with a gesture to his helmet to buy Chewie more time to take out the control station. He then waited there like a sitting decoy for all hell to break loose. As soon as he heard the first blaster fire, Han ran for the control station.

***

The gantry officer in the control station looked out his window toward the captured freighter, waiting with some concern for an answer from the missing guards. The sight of one of the troopers descending the ship's ramp to signal a comm problem replaced that concern with irritation. Shaking his head in disgust, the officer gave his aide an annoyed look as he headed for the door. "Take over," he ordered. "We've got a bad transmitter. I'll see what I can do with it."

Activating the door's controls and moving forward even before the door had been completely opened, the gantry officer nearly collided with the towering form of a Wookie engulfing the opening. The officer stumbled backward in a state shock from the thundering roar issued by the beast, too stunned to react further before Chewbacca's massive fist flattened him with a single blow. The aide, given the benefit of a warning at his officer's expense, quickly drew his pistol and took aim at the Wookie.

Realizing his exposed condition too late to prevent the Imperial from firing upon him, Chewbacca quickly moved back into the corridor to seek cover while he brought his bow caster to bear. His actions would have been insufficient to avert injury had it not been for Obi-Wan stepping forward, igniting his lightsaber with lightening speed to deflect the laser blast intended for Chewbacca back into the aide. The Imperial was dead from that single shot before his body hit the floor. With no other threat facing them, Obi-Wan deactivated his lightsaber just as quickly as he had brought it out.

Chewbacca watched the aide crumple to the floor, not quite sure if he could believe what he had just seen as the old tales of the Jedi that were still whispered in some corners of the galaxy came back to his mind. He then turned to gape with stunned amazement at the man he had taken for a delusional and somewhat peculiar nuisance and gently howled his appreciation, looking upon this human with newfound respect. 

Obi-Wan sensed the change in the Wookie's attitude, but spared little effort to acknowledge it beyond nodding his acceptance of Chewbacca's gratitude. The Jedi then immediately concentrated on the assets they had gained, seeking out the row of control panels and computer terminals lining the station's walls and deciphering their purpose as he walked slowly by them. 

Chewbacca left him to this undertaking and turned his attention to clearing the doorway of the dead officer so the waiting droids could enter. He then went to retrieve the body of the aide to place it with the other in order to minimize the obstructions in the room should the tables be turned on them shortly.

Han came running up to the scene just as the droids entered the station and Chewbacca finished piling the Imps to one side of the doorway. After surveying the small control room they had managed to secure, he was more than a little surprised to find nothing for him to do other than close the door behind him. Accomplishing that small task with a "Hmph", Han then quickly removed the annoying helmet he wore and moved to the station's observation windows to inspect the bay and his ship from this new vantage point. Chewbacca also took up a sentry position, instinctively placing himself to guard the door from across the room as he waited for a decision on their next move.

"Artoo, plug in over here," Obi-Wan called out, gesturing to one of the computer outlets. "You should be able to interpret the entire Imperial network from here. Bring up everything you can access on the tractor beam power and control system."

Artoo replied with a consenting beep and moved to the designated computer outlet with Threepio in tow. The network came to life at the astromech's command, feeding his electronic brain with an astounding data stream. Sifting quickly through the information, Artoo let out a burst of excited whistles when he located the pertinent data.

"He says he's found the main control to the power beam that's holding the ship," Threepio automatically interpreted. "He'll try to make the precise location appear on the monitor."

Obi-Wan nodded his approval and then leaned in close to study the screen intently as Artoo began scrolling through myriad functional diagrams on the screen, each display showing the next the segment of the path the Jedi would need to take. Prompted by his counterpart, Threepio provided a narration of additional information. "The tractor beam is coupled to the main reactor in seven locations. A power loss at one of the terminals will allow the ship to leave." The brief presentation concluded with the diagram of the closest power station appearing on the screen with the pertinent controls highlighted.

Han watched this show with acute interest, knowing that disabling the tractor beam at the power source was the only option that would enable them to escape. However, he was unable to absorb enough information from the rapid presentation to even begin to formulate a plan for achieving that goal. The old man, on the other hand, gave the appearance of having assimilated every detail as he stared in contemplation at the last display. 

Obi-Wan finished his considerations then turned to the waiting pilot. "I don't think you two can help with this," he advised Han. "You'd better stay here and watch over the droids."

If those words had been uttered by any other being, Han would likely have been taken aback, but coming from the old man, they were almost expected now. "Whatever you say. I've done more on this trip than I bargained for already," Han readily agreed, not the least bit anxious to follow this fool on a suicide mission. 

Obi-Wan moved to the door but stopped just after opening it, suddenly none too confident about his chances of surviving this mission. Filled with concern over the data contained in Artoo, he looked back to the pilot and appealed to the better man he knew to be buried underneath the hard exterior. "If anything happens to me, you must see these droids delivered to the Rebel Alliance or more star systems will suffer the fate of Alderaan. Artoo will help you locate contacts. May the Force be with you," he added, then quickly left and closed the door behind him before Han had a chance to object.

Han stared after the old man in disbelief, now completely convinced that he was insane. He turned back to Chewie, expecting the Wookie had reached the same conclusion, and launched into a string of complaints. "Can you believe this guy? This is absurd! No way one geezer armed with a glow rod is going to take out that tractor beam. We've gotta come up with something else to get us out of here."

Chewbacca surprised his old friend by countering his criticism with a vote of confidence for the Jedi, supporting his argument by pointing out that following the man's advice had gotten them this far safely.

"What, did these Imps scramble your muddled brain?!" Han exclaimed in shocked disbelief at his friend's words. "That old fossil's no Jedi. At best he's crazed hermit that's gotten very good at dragging others into his fantasy world." 

Chewbacca persisted somewhat defensively by explaining Obi-Wan's demonstrated skill with that "glow rod".

"So maybe he stumbled across a working lightsaber and practiced a little. He got lucky is all. That don't make him a Jedi," Han countered, refusing to be affected by his friend's argument. "Come on, think a little here. I'm gonna need you to get out of this."

Chewbacca reluctantly had to agree with Han's point. After all the Jedi were supposed to be extinct. How likely was it that one had survived and chosen to seclude himself in such strange and meager circumstances as this man apparently had? He was about to vocalize his concession when the R2 unit still plugged into the computer outlet emitted a loud burst of excited squeals.

Han spun on the little droid in irritation. "What the hell is his problem?" he demanded of protocol droid.

"I'm not sure, sir," Threepio began tentatively. "He says I found her, and keeps repeating she's here."

"Huh?" Han looked exasperated.

"Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan, sir," Threepio provided after receiving additional information from Artoo. "She was captured by the Empire during the same battle that brought Artoo and me into Master Kenobi's service."

"Princess?!" Han exclaimed, still stuck on the first word Threepio had spoken. "Princess?! What the hell is this?!"

Chewbacca digested the news a little more evenly and took the last of half of the droids report as confirmation of his previous suspicion. "[He is a Jedi]," Chewie barked triumphantly at Han. 

Han was too stunned trying to process the significance of what the droid had just said to protest his friend's proclamation. Either he was surrounded by complete lunatics, or their situation was a lot worse than he had originally estimated. If there was even a shred a truth in anything the old man or the droids had said, then he and Chewie were no longer just a couple of luckless smugglers that ran an Imperial blockade only to stumble into this station. The Imperials would take them as Rebel or Jedi sympathizers, and if captured, they would face gruesome interrogation and execution, rather than a tour at Kessel. 

"I'm afraid she's scheduled to be terminated," Threepio added forlornly.

This tidbit of news completely overwhelmed the already distraught pilot. "Well now, ain't that a damn shame," he snapped sarcastically. "Too bad I'm no Jedi Knight with a shining laser sword ready to mount a rescue!"

The bitter stress in his voice succeeded in temporarily silencing the room's occupants. Han used the opportunity to clear his head and sort through the limited options he had available for developing a plan. With no good alternative presenting itself, he quickly decided that their best course of action was to follow the advice of the man Chewie took for a Jedi. Turning toward Chewbacca, he announced his decision, "We're staying right here."

The sad moan issued by Artoo in response needed no interpretation to communicate his concern over Princess Leia. Chewbacca looked inquisitively toward Han, wondering if some of his friend's occasional heroic tendencies would emerge in response to this plea. Though with little chance of receiving even an owed favor in return, Chewbacca could almost predict the answer.

"Look here, this ain't no fairy tale," Han harshly addressed the idealistic look in Chewie's eyes, "and we aren't going to do anybody any good getting captured ourselves. The old man wants us to wait here, so that's what we're going to do. At least we have a secure position and we're close enough to the Falcon to make it out of here quickly if that "Jedi" makes good on his promise." Satisfied he'd adequately answered Chewbacca, Han turned toward Threepio to cut off any further protest from the droids, "And tell that astromech to shut up before I decide to turn the lot of you over to the Imps in exchange for amnesty!"

The room grew silent once more, and Han encouraged it to remain so by plopping down stubbornly into one of the chairs. As he re-considered the difficulty he had encountered departing Tatooine in light of the recently added knowledge regarding his passengers, he truly began to wonder just what he had gotten himself into by accepting this fare. To top it off, he realized that somewhere in that argument he had all but accepted responsibility for delivering the droids. "Somehow I don't think I charged enough for this run," he muttered to himself as he settled in for what was sure to be a nerve-wracking wait.


	19. Chap 19 A Ray of Hope

Chapter 19 – A Ray of Hope

Obi-Wan left his travel companions behind in the control station, unsure if he would be seeing them again. His concerned reflection focused on the dark presence he'd felt descend upon the docking bay while the ship was being searched. There was little doubt in his mind regarding the identity of that individual, and that he had managed to cloak his own presence from Darth Vader's prying probe at that time gave him no reassurance. He could already sense the Dark Lord resuming his hunt for an explanation of the Millennium Falcon's arrival. Given time, Vader would find his answers. Obi-Wan knew he could not prevent it, but he hoped to postpone it for as long as possible, at least until he could deactivate the tractor beam so Captain Solo could escape with the droid holding such critical information for the Alliance.

So Obi-Wan remained focused on accomplishing just this one small task he had set out do – using only a minimal application of the Force to quiet his footfalls and keep himself hidden in the shadows of the corridors as he cautiously followed the path Artoo had indicated. Even so, his progress seemed to send waves of energy through the Force, causing the balance barely established since Alderaan's destruction to begin roiling once more.

Yes, Alderaan's destruction was surely the cause of that Force blast that had nearly paralyzed him. Had the Force intended for him to prevent that tragedy? Had he been too late? That did seem to be the story of his life, always just a little too late to prevent the most disastrous of incidents. 

More ripples washed through the Force, seeming to reach out in search of Obi-Wan, though these were not generated by Vader. These ripples came from the heart of the storm that had been building for over a month now. _'The source is here!'_ Obi-Wan suddenly realized as he felt its haunting touch caress him just for a moment, then suddenly draw back as if to consider what it had discovered. The sensation was more than a little disturbing, and it left Obi-Wan even more concerned about the possible dangers ahead. 

Was this storm come to punish him finally for his involvement in the calamities of the past and present? Was this to signal the end of the Jedi Order's hope for the future with the death of Alderaan and its adopted Princess, or worse her fall to the dark side orchestrated by her father's evil hand? Obi-Wan knew he would likely never know the answers, so he just pressed on as he always had, trying to salvage what he could from the ruins of his failures. 

***

Arkus groaned in the midst of his wallowing as he tried to fight off the persistent feeling he was getting from the Force. He pulled his shields in closer around his mind, but still it was prodding him, poking at his semi-consciousness and demanding his attention. _'Get up,'_ it seemed to say. _'Don't leave this one to die. You MUST not!'_ The insistent pleas penetrated his strongest barriers and invaded his private sanctuary, refusing to be ignored.

__

'What am I to do?' he answered finally, trying harder to block out this sensation that brought to his mind a flash of Leia's image with every contact. Her emotional pain was still crying out for comfort like a dull ache in his heart, but he dared not answer it. He wouldn't bond closer to her, not when he knew her death was inevitable. He knew the Emperor would command it the instant he learned of what had transpired over the last few days, and there would be no arguing with that decree. Leia's execution was mandated by her very nature, yet a part of Arkus refused to accept it.

__

'I can't protect her from herself!' he screamed bitterly, using his father's words as a defense against the burgeoning urge to prevent this tragedy. To act on this instinct would be treason - a betrayal of the Master and of the beliefs Arkus had come to embody. Even the thought of doing so brought a crushing wave of pain through his mind. Arkus drew himself tighter into his ball in response, shrinking away from the agony.

__

'You **MUST **protect her!' the voice demanded harshly, unmoved by the distress its command brought Arkus. 

__

'How?' he asked miserably as he realized there would be no escape from this prompting. He didn't know the answer to the question, yet he felt himself get up and begin to move through the corridors in response to the order. This was pointless. He couldn't fight off an entire space station when Vader and Tarkin decided to come for her.

__

'Get her away from here,' the simple answer came.

__

'HA!' Arkus scoffed. So simple, like he could just ship her out of there unmolested on a shuttle. How insane was that? Besides, there was nowhere for him to take her; nowhere the Master would not find them. If he did this, if he somehow succeeded in it, they would both be hunted down and destroyed. Another crashing wave of pain – he could not defy his Master. 

__

'You cannot let her die!'

__

'Then how?!' he screamed back, wincing from the strain of the conflicting commands in his head.

__

'The Jedi,' was whispered back at him.

__

'Jedi?! What Jedi?' Arkus demanded.

This time the answer came through in a vision. There was a presence nearby – a weakened yet powerful presence in the Force that existed in opposition to his dark nature. Could it be a Jedi, right there on the Death Star? How could that be possible? The Jedi were dead, or so the Master had said. But then there had been thousands of them – maybe they had not been completely eradicated.

Arkus reached out through the Force to touch the image he had been shown, only to quickly draw back from what he discovered. _'There is a Jedi here! And a ship…'_ His surprise was stifled by the implication of their presence - there **was** a chance for Leia to escape this encounter with death. Again he felt the overpowering urge to get Leia off of the Death Star. But in the care of a despicably weak Jedi?! The Jedi were the enemy to be hunted and destroyed. He couldn't dare trust one. Yet he MUST do it. The Jedi was the only way. The pressure pushed harder against his compulsion to do as his Master would desire, inciting a raging debate in his head until he thought he would go insane. Through this torment, he continued to wander blindly closer to his quarters, toward Leia, uncertain of what he was doing or why. 

****

Darth Vader worked to maintain his measured calm as he gently prodded the murky clouds that were blurring his perception of the Force. He was having little success in dissipating the distortion, but he refused to end his meditation until he had an explanation for the strange sensations that continued to taunt him ever since that first inkling outside the captured freighter. Whatever it was that was causing these feelings was also powerful enough to hide its presence. Still Lord Vader knew the answer would come to him in time; he needed only to be persistent. 

Then as if in answer to his refusal to surrender, the Force suddenly blazed a bright trail past his thoughts and into the heart of the haze. The clouds drew back for an instant, allowing Vader to follow the cleared path to its end. There he found the answer he had been seeking.

__

'Obi-Wan is here!' 

The shock of the revelation broke Vader abruptly out of his meditation, and quickly gave way to an inferno of outraged hatred ignited from the very core of his soul as he absorbed the thought of Obi-Wan being still alive and impossibly involved in this Rebel operation. His first, instinctive reaction called for him to hunt down his former master and brutally destroy him for all the past physical and emotional injuries the abhorrent Jedi had inflicted upon him. That was what his hate-filled fury demanded, but the mature Sith Lord was now too controlled to give in to such an emotion without considering all aspects of a situation. Obi-Wan had come for a reason - one the Dark Lord could likely exploit.

Vader took a moment to settle his emotions and then sought to study what he had learned of Obi-Wan's objectives during that brief contact. The Jedi's mind had been filled with a single purpose – deactivate the tractor beam to allow his friends a chance at escape. Vader needed no further meditation to understand the underlying concern behind Obi-Wan's desperation. The Jedi's mere presence provided all the confirmation the Dark Lord needed to know that the stolen Death Star plans were within his grasp as well, brought on that freighter as he had originally suspected. Given an opportunity, Obi-Wan's companions would likely continue on their quest to deliver the plans to the Alliance. It would be a small matter to affix a tracking beacon to the freighter and allow the Rebels to escape.

__

'Yes. This could be a most fortunate turn of events,' Vader thought in serious calculation. _'Let the Rebels escape and lead us to their base,' _he mused further. Once the Alliance was destroyed, he could end the interrogation of the Princess and award Arkus full custody of her with no slight to his duties to the Empire. His son would have his prized princess - at least until such time as the matter of her life was brought before the Emperor. Vader almost smiled in satisfaction as he considered how this new situation might develop in the deadly game of manipulation he was playing with the Emperor.

__

'But Obi-Wan will not escape!' Vader vowed suddenly, maliciously. It wasn't necessary to allow him to do so for this plan to work - only that the Jedi be allowed to complete his current task unhindered so the other Rebels could believe any escape was their own doing. And Vader could not have tolerated the thought of Obi-Wan slipping away again even if it had been required for his scheme, for surely it had been dictated by the Force that former master and apprentice cross paths again so that their passionate conflict could be resolved in a definitive manner. Vader would not pass up this opportunity to put to death one of the few remaining foci of his old hatred. Indeed, he would enjoy giving the old master a lesson of his own.

Filled with a new sense of purpose, Vader left his meditation chamber and headed directly for the bridge to advise Tarkin of Obi-Wan's presence and to clearly order the Governor to stay out of this ancient rivalry between Jedi and Sith. He would not tolerate another initiative like the one Tarkin had taken with Arkus over the Princess.

***

The battle in Arkus's head ceased abruptly, and his external awareness came fully into focus as he stared at the entrance to his quarters. Leia was inside; he could feel her presence without even trying. She had brought him there, to the brink of treason, just on the strength of a Force connection that had started benignly enough on Balitar only weeks ago. Past the brink really, he reflected as he considered the bodies of the two guards at his feet. He didn't even remember killing them, though he knew that he had. Apparently he had already decided her life was worth fighting for, but just how far was he willing to take this? What price was he willing to pay? The argument in his head threatened to erupt again, but Arkus pushed it back. There was no more time for thinking; a decision had to be made, or it would be made for him in short order.

A prompting from the Force encouraged Arkus to shed the robe enshrouding him before he entered his quarters. He should face Leia on this matter directly, with no pretenses between them. She deserved that much. Arkus complied almost without thinking, allowing the cloak to slide from his shoulders and pile on the floor before keying the entry code with his breath caught in his throat. 

He sought out the Princess inside the instant the door opened, and found her huddled on the couch in the front room, seeking comfort from her own embrace, though her resolve was standing at the ready to take control the instant a threat appeared. She must have known it was him at the door because these barriers did not come crashing down upon his entrance. Instead, Leia raised her eyes to his, blankly at first, then questioningly as she took in his ragged appearance and obvious distress. She looked so helpless just then, so fragile and in need of his protection. 

Arkus immediately wished he hadn't discarded the cloak, the one thing that might have provided some insulation against the power she seemed to have over him, but it was too late for that now. Leia had already seen his exposed spirit and her warm reaction was quickly eroding his defenses, allowing their Force connection to strengthen once more as they silently regarded each other for a moment. His heart ached as he felt Leia's pain, prodding him to offer some sort of comfort, and something in her eyes seemed to reach hesitantly toward him, offering a form of support so foreign yet so desired. If he would just touch it…

Suddenly recoiling from Leia's inviting Force touch, Arkus bitterly and forcefully closed down their connection. No matter what the outcome of this conflict - either her death or her departure - she would never be his, and he refused to acknowledge a long forgotten feeling that would only be torn from him again in moments. He used the emotional pain from the severing of their bond to turn back to his hateful anger, and found his strength again in the power of the Dark Side. 

There was no conflict in him now. His decision had been made, and he was completely focused on accomplishing his task. This change in outlook was reflected in his expression as the hesitancy was washed away by a forming scowl. He moved quickly, so quickly Leia had no time to react as he forcefully grabbed her by the wrist and yanked her to her feet.

"Come on," he ordered harshly, not waiting for any response as he turned about and began dragging her behind him, her right wrist held fast in the cold grip of his left hand.

Leia recovered from the momentary surprise of Arkus's actions enough to plant her feet and yank back against his hold. He had seemed so open when he had entered, vulnerable and somehow sharing in her pain. She had been so certain she was seeing a glimpse of his inner soul, and thought she had found something more there than the menacing and controlling presence he projected so well. In that moment, part of her had actually wanted to go to him, but that fleeting feeling had been viciously cut off with yet another blast of frigid cold. These dramatic swings in his demeanor frightened her deeply, and she was not at all convinced that she wanted to follow him. 

"What are you doing?!" she demanded, her voice wavering with the physical exertion of her resistance.

Leia's efforts were unsuccessful at stopping their progress, but she did manage to get Arkus's attention. He spun on her violently and yanked her closer until their bodies were nearly touching. Peeling his lips back to sneer down at her, he held her in place by the mere power of his cruel glare.

"Best not ask that, Princess, lest I change my mind and rip your heart out myself," he snarled maliciously, drawing deeper into his hatred to fight off the conflicts her question brought forth. "Now come with me if you desire to live."

Again he turned and began dragging her almost painfully behind him as he charged into the corridor. This time Leia was too stunned and frightened to offer any resistance at all.

***

Obi-Wan breathed a slight sigh of relief when he reached his destination undetected. The power shaft he had entered seemed to stretch endlessly from the depths far below into the vastness above, yet not another soul occupied the space to witness his entry. In fact, all on the station had been conveniently quiet during his stealthy passage through the maze of corridors.

As reassuring as that was, Obi-Wan knew it was a temporary condition. The turmoil in the Force continued to grow, and had reached a point that the Jedi could barely get a sense of even the most immediate future. More alarming was the sensation that the storm had found its focus on him. Obi-Wan no longer doubted that he would be unable to escape unscathed. All he really needed, though, was a few more moments of unobserved deeds to accomplish his mission, and the Force seemed willing to grant him this small request.

Casting his concerns aside, Obi-Wan moved quickly across the walkway to reach the generator tower and cautiously edged out onto the narrow catwalk providing access to the control panels. One by one he began performing the necessary adjustments on each of the panels, inching his way carefully around to the next when his actions were completed on the one before him. Only the occasional howl from the wind currents in the shaft seemed to protest his actions.


	20. Chap 20 Not Exactly as Planned

Chapter 20 – Not Exactly As Planned

Han impatiently checked the chrono on the console only to verify that another a minute had passed by. The old man - Obi-Wan, the astromech had finally provided after a bout of Han's frustrated grumbling – had not really been gone long, but to Han it seemed an eternity. He was going crazy just sitting around this small control room waiting to be discovered by the next Imperial patrol.

Han had taken to pacing over the last half-hour, occasionally letting out muttered curses or insults directed at the "Jedi" who had gotten him into this. He was even more aggravated that Chewbacca had seemed to recognize the name Obi-Wan and had once again barked his confidence in the man - something to do with the Clone Wars. If the man's real first name was so well known, then why the hell hadn't Chewie voiced a suspicion earlier? Sure the old man had used "Ben" as an alias, but he had kept his last name the same. If Chewie would have just said something when the Jedi started acting weird, Han would have dropped them out of hyperspace early and dumped his passengers off at the nearest star system, thereby avoiding this whole mess.

His bitter brooding was interrupted when the R2 unit began whistling wildly in irritatingly shrill tones. Spinning in anger, Han latched onto the opportunity to vent some of his frustrations. "I thought I told you to shut up!" he yelled.

"But sir..." the protocol droid began.

"No wait. Don't tell me. He's discovered the Katana fleet!" Han bit out sarcastically, unable to think of any other revelation that might shock him as much as the previous ones his passengers had delivered.

Threepio cocked his head in confusion at the remark, but decided the information he had to report was more important than addressing the illogical nature of that conclusion. "No sir. It seems a detachment of stormtroopers has been ordered to this docking bay. They've been instructed to check in with the gantry officer."

Chewbacca immediately howled his concern and readied his bow-caster, but Han had a more restrained reaction to the news. His eyes widened slightly as his mind absorbed the significance of the information, but in truth part of him was actually glad that this mindless waiting was coming to an end. "Great, a welcoming party. What nice hospitality these Imps have," he replied sardonically, his demeanor much more controlled now that he had a solid threat to confront. "How long before they get here?" 

"They should be arriving momentarily."

Han cast a concerned glance toward the observation window to check on the Falcon once more, and immediately caught sight of a group of stormtroopers marching across the docking bay towards his ship. A chime at the locked door to the control room announced the arrival of yet more guests. Han felt a lump form in his throat as the chime sounded a second time in rapid succession, seemingly insistent on receiving a response. He would have liked to have a had just a few more of those dull moments to formulate a plan, but fate never seemed to smile on him in that regard.

"Um, who is it?" Han responded over the commlink to the exterior in his best spontaneous imitation of an Imperial gantry officer. He winced as he realized how wholly inadequate that response was, but it made little difference. The Imps at the door weren't likely to be going away. The best he could hope for was to buy Chewie and himself a few moments to get situated.

"Lieutenant Commander Frizick, reporting with squad 32768 per Lord Vader's command," a voice responded with more than a hint of annoyance. "Why is this door locked?"

Han was gesturing forcefully to Chewbacca to take up position by the door while he struggled to get the stormtrooper helmet back on his head, so this response came out even more stuttered and sloppy than the first one. "Um, had a slight problem with interruptions. I'll be there in a minute. Just hold on," he stalled.

"Open this door! NOW!" came the angered order, accompanied with the threatening sound of blasters being drawn.

Han did a quick scan of the small room they were trapped in, already knowing that there was nothing to offer any cover, but desperate to come up with some plan. Chewbacca was pressed against the wall to one side of the entrance ready to open the door and launch a side ambush on anyone attempting an entry. He was out of the immediate line of sight from the doorway, as were the bodies of the two Imps that had been stationed here. The astromech had disengaged its connection to the computer terminal on its own volition, and withdrawn enough that its presence would not attract immediate attention. The protocol droid couldn't look menacing if it were draped were thermal detonators.

Given those conditions, Han chose to stand at apparent ease in the middle of the room with the standard issue blaster held lightly across his chest in the hope that the stormtrooper armor he wore would initially fool their guests. _Just for a moment,_ he thought. Just long enough to convince them it was safe to enter so Chewbacca could take them by surprise. Satisfied that their appearance was as benign as possible, Han signaled for Chewie to open the door.

As the door opened, Han could see that the officer was in the process of working his way behind the four troopers that accompanied him when the sound of the sliding door caught his attention. The officer turned back to look into the control room with an assessing gaze, then changed direction when he caught sight of Han just passively standing in the middle of the room. The expression on the officer's face was easy to read, and Han had seen it more than enough times during his stay at the Academy to know that his plan was working. It was the look of a miffed, egocentric, admiral-want-to-be, eager to give a slacker a good dressing down to elevate his own sense of importance and perhaps earn a little commendation on his next evaluation. That attitude overrode the man's sense of caution as he charged into the control room, managing to further disrupt the formation of the stormtroopers in the process. It was the last mistake the officer was to make, for as soon as his body broke the plane of the doorway, Chewie reached out with his powerful left paw to snatch the man by the throat, crushing his windpipe as he dragged the man clear of the entry.

The stormtroopers behind the officer did not have a clear view into the control room and were startled at the unexpected removal of their commander. The moment of confusion that followed was more than adequate to allow Han to snap into a combat pose and bring his blaster around with the speed and fluidity of reflexes well accustomed to fighting. Their weapons still out of line from the earlier shuffling, the first two troopers did not have sufficient time to readjust their stance before Han mowed them down. A third trooper had just started moving when Han's deadly aim caught him square in the chest.

The last stormtrooper had been in a better position to start with and was able to bring his blaster to bear, but with all the sudden confusion he did not take enough time to aim. His first shot went wild. Han continued to fire out the door as he dove out of the direct line of fire, drawing the trooper's attention with him. Chewbacca had already thrown the dying officer behind him, and he now quickly swung out into the entryway with his bow caster at the ready. At point blank range and with surprise on his side, Chewbacca easily took care of the remaining threat. 

The clatter of the last trooper's armored corpse hitting the floor marked the end to the brief battle, but Chewie was not about to relax. He remained standing in the doorway with his attention focused down the corridor, searching for additional stormtroopers who might have heard the commotion, as Han quickly moved up along side him to assess their situation. They were met with only silence.

"Well, that wasn't so bad," Han concluded. The trill of the action tinted his tone with a cocky air, but his momentary sense of glory was quickly dashed when the comm board lit up with an incoming call. 

Han briefly considered taking the call to see if he could bluff his way out of it. As cramped as this control room was, it had been a perfect place to wait for the old man and keep an eye on the Falcon. That had changed, though, with the arrival of this little party. The commander or one of the stormtroopers must have signaled their comrades, or the call might very well be in response to the disturbance of the brief firefight. Either way, more stormtroopers would likely be on their way soon, and Han did not wish to be caught cornered again.

"Enough of this waiting. We're gettin' outta here," Han said to Chewie as he began wading through the fallen stormtroopers, carelessly tossing his own helmet onto the heap.

"But sir, what about us?" Threepio immediately whined.

"Don't worry, goldenrod. Right now you two are my only hope of getting compensated for all this trouble," Han responded sourly over his shoulder. "You're coming with us. Now move it." 

Chewbacca regarded his friend curiously as Han moved through the obstacles on the floor and continued down the corridor. Then the Wookie looked back at the droids. It was obvious those two would be unable to maneuver around the bodies, but apparently Han was not the least bit concerned with the dilemma. Grunting in frustration under his breath, Chewie quickly cleared a path and waved for the droids to follow before moving to catch up with Han.

****

"Yes, what is it Cass?" Tarkin demanded impatiently, barely looking up from the reports on his desk to acknowledge the officer's entry.

Deck Officer Cass swallowed hard as he prepared to report on the recent developments on-board the Death Star. He briefly wondered how he had come to be the one chosen to deliver all of the bad news to the Grand Moff, but quickly shoved the thought aside to conduct himself with the appropriate Imperial formality. "There have been reports of a disruption in the docking bay holding the captured freighter," he began.

Tarkin did look up at that, his expression relating more annoyance than concern. "What sort of disruption would that be?"

"Apparently the freighter was not unmanned after all. Two stormtroopers were found dead on-board, and the unit Lord Vader ordered to guard the ship encountered resistance at the control station. The intruders managed to escape. The on-duty patrols have been alerted, but additional troops are needed to thoroughly search the area."

Tarkin mentally sighed in frustration. He had been expecting a report of this nature since Lord Vader had informed him of Obi-Wan Kenobi's presence and explained his plans for the Rebel scum accompanying the Jedi. That stormtrooper unit had been ordered to the docking bay for the express purpose of flushing the Rebels out and keeping them on the move while Lord Vader dealt with the Jedi personally. Beyond that, the Rebels were to be left alone for now. "How many intruders were encountered?" Tarkin asked, more out of curiosity than concern.

"Unknown at this time, sir. They had managed to secure the control station before the unit arrived, and were able to ambush the small detachment assigned to report there. No witnesses survived."

This news was worthy of an inward grumble and a slight tightening of Governor's lips. An entire detachment eliminated with how many Rebel casualties to show for it? Apparently none, or Cass would not have omitted the detail. While this sort of efficiency was not unexpected with a Jedi involved, it was nevertheless disconcerting. Still, Tarkin had to admit that there was none better equipped to deal with the Jedi nuisance than Lord Vader, and Vader had been clear in his desire to handle this alone. Shoving his discontented thoughts back and keeping any further sign of alarm from his face, Tarkin replied to Cass evenly, "You've done well bringing this to my attention, but Lord Vader is aware of the intruders and is personally handling them. No additional patrols are needed," he added, effectively dismissing Cass.

The cool response surprised Cass, but he could not allow himself to be dismissed so soon. He had additional news to report. "Sir, there is also the matter with the Princess's guards," he ventured, unsure if this anomaly was included in Lord Vader's awareness.

The concern on Tarkin's face was much deeper this time and laced with a touch of anger. "What of the Princess?" he demanded.

"The guards, sir. They were scheduled to check in every hour, but they failed to make their most recent report. Nor do they respond to calls to their commlinks." Cass faltered slightly at the growing look of fury on Tarkin's face, the addition of clenching fists suddenly inspiring him to offer a defensive explanation. "I would have dispatched a patrol to investigate, but Lord Vader had ordered…"

"Enough!" Tarkin barked out. "I should have been informed immediately, despite any orders from Lord Vader!" 

The Governor shook with his anger for a moment, his hard eyes burning holes into the unfortunate officer before him. _'This was not to involve the Princess!'_ he fumed in his thoughts. No mention of her had been included in Lord Vader's briefing on his risky plan to exploit the Rebels' presence, and Tarkin doubted that Vader was foolish enough to commit such an oversight. No. Either this group of Rebels was larger and far better organized than Vader had originally assessed, or more likely, Arkus was behind the disappearance of her guards. That impertinent youth had enabled the Princess to escape once before on Balitar, and Tarkin was not about to risk allowing him to do so again.

"Dispatch a patrol to check on the Princess at once, and increase the existing patrols to cover all passageways leading to that docking bay. They are to report any unusual activity immediately. If the Princess is found outside of Darth Arkus's quarters, she is to be terminated by any means necessary," Tarkin ordered, no longer caring if these instructions were within the limitations that Lord Vader had requested.

"Yes sir," Cass responded quickly, snapping to attention and immediately turning about to execute the orders.

***

Darth Vader waited with controlled anticipation in the middle of the deserted corridor, mentally preparing himself for the coming confrontation with Obi-Wan. He had waited for this moment, for his revenge, all too long, but his maturity and the knowledge that this time he would be the victor allowed the Dark Lord to restrain his passion. This would not be like their last duel, when he had been but a child easily riled into making a critical error by the experienced master. This time he was the master, and there would be no escape for Obi-Wan.

Vader wanted no interruptions, no witnesses, distracting him from his final victory over the Jedi that had wronged him in so many ways. To ensure this, he had ordered his personal squadrons of stormtroopers to secure the intersecting passages along the final portion of the path from the tractor beam power terminals to the docking bay that was several meters behind him. Still, the Dark Lord could sense a sudden inordinate amount of activity in this area of the battle station.

He debated briefly on stretching out his senses to seek an explanation, but quickly decided against it. Such an action would reveal his presence and alert Obi-Wan to his trap earlier than Vader wished it, and the fate of the cornered Rebels was a secondary concern when compared to the elimination of this one Jedi. Even if his plan to allow them to escape was disrupted by Tarkin's blundering, Vader would at least obtain a powerful weapon against the Princess's resolve. Presenting her Obi-Wan's head and the retrieved Death Star datacards her Alliance so desperately wanted might just be enough to crush what was left of her spirit and leave her completely defenseless against the next round of questioning, be it at his hands or Arkus's.

A tingle in the Force announced Obi-Wan's approach and brought Vader's focus back to the matter at hand. The hatred this man could still inspire in him threatened to burst forth once again, but the Dark Lord firmly pushed it back, refusing to be overcome by it. That emotion would tempt him into ending this duel all too quickly. He wished, instead, to savor each moment of the confrontation and toy with Obi-Wan a bit as he demonstrated his superior power and skill. Focusing his energies and igniting his lightsaber in anticipation of his old master's arrival, Vader could already taste the sweetness of long denied vengeance finally attained.

***

Obi-Wan kept his senses sharply focused as he slowly emerged from the shadows after yet another patrol passed by him. Cocking his head slightly in an instinctive gesture, he paused momentarily to listen after the whisperings of the stormtroopers' intentions. They were involved in an active search, to be sure. That much was clear from the purpose with which they moved and the sheer number of additional patrols Obi-Wan had encountered during his return journey. _'But for whom?'_ Obi-Wan contemplated. Himself, he knew, if his actions at the power generator had been discovered; Captain Solo if the restless Corellian had done something rash. Obi-Wan could not distinguish the object of the Imperials' search with any certainty without risking a more active use the Force, but truly it made little difference. If these search parties had not yet discovered Captain Solo and his companion, they surely would soon, and any hope for the droids' deliverance to the Alliance would be abruptly ended. 

Sighing quietly, Obi-Wan mentally scolded himself for not having thought to bring a commlink with him. Such a simple device, it would have enabled him to instruct the pilot to take off the minute the tractor beam had been disabled. Now that oversight was seriously risking the success of this mission. With no way to signal Captain Solo and no way of knowing if his assistance was needed elsewhere, Obi-Wan abandoned his reflections and began moving again along the only logical path open to him, though he did so with a quickened pace. He did know time was running short.

He worked his way down several more corridors at this increased speed before stopping worriedly just two turns away from the docking bay. The path ahead had grown deathly quiet, and the dark chill permeating the air signaled all too clearly what laid in wait down that corridor. A wave of dread washed over Obi-Wan as realization of Vader's intentions came to him, the dark emotion chipping away at his steady resolve for a moment as it sought an inroad to inspire fear in his heart. But Obi-Wan had conquered those demons long ago, and he now willed the emotion to drain off of him, chasing it away with a calm acceptance of what could not be avoided. This confrontation had been fated to occur for nearly two decades, and the only path to freedom was through the completion of that destiny.

Drawing his lightsaber to hold at the ready, Obi-Wan completed the last turns more slowly to bring himself face to face with his old apprentice, but brought his advance to a halt still several meters away from Vader to allow himself time to better assess the Sith Lord that Anakin had become. He had never personally seen Darth Vader in his mechanized armor, and upon first inspection had to admit the sight was formidable, made more so by the chilling red glow of the lightsaber in his hands, though Vader held it casually with the blade pointed at the floor. There was no hint of restlessness in the pose Vader maintained, no sense of any anxiety at all. This mind had matured significantly since Obi-Wan had last encountered it, and it would not be so easily distracted. Now it was filled with the cold, calculating determination of an assassin. 

Apparently convinced of Obi-Wan's refusal to advance, Vader began moving purposefully toward him with powerful strides and surprising fluidity for one so encumbered by prosthetics and life support equipment. Obi-Wan ignited his blade as the Sith approached, and gauged Vader's movements carefully to gain what insight he could into the physical capabilities of his challenger. The strength was undeniable, but the lack of grace suggested that this would be a more traditional fight, lacking the aerial acrobatics that had marked several conflicts from Obi-Wan's younger days. That suited Obi-Wan perfectly. He was growing much too old for physical combat, and would have to rely on his experienced skill and wit if he hoped to survive this duel, though Vader was likely his equal on at least the former point. With each combatant impaired, one by age and the other by physical handicaps, this promised to be a long and hard fight if not a spectacular one. 

"I've been waiting for you Obi-Wan," Vader greeted him with chilling satisfaction as he closed the distance between them. "We meet again, at last. The circle of destiny is complete."

Eyeing his opponent warily, Obi-Wan met Vader's advance by moving his blade into a classic attack position, the point aimed directly at control panel on Vader's chest. Vader presented his blade in classic response and conceded initial control of the duel to Obi-Wan. He would allow the old Jedi to set the opening tempo of the fight.

"Now, let us see who the master is," Vader taunted when he had settled in his stance.

"You will never be the master of anything but evil," Obi-Wan replied, a mixture of sadness and reproof in his voice. 

The Jedi wasted no further effort in words, choosing instead to immediately initiate the duel with an opening swing aimed at Vader's midsection. Vader easily parried the blow and countered with a low swipe. Obi-Wan blocked this move in turn, as well as the quick follow-up Vader executed by bringing his blade back up and around. Their sabers locked briefly before them, squealing in protest as they clashed, until the two combatants pushed away from each other to break the lock. The first testing blows exchanged, both warriors quickly moved in again, preparing to escalate their contest in more intense and faster paced exchanges. 

**

In another part of the station still some distance from the docking bay, Darth Arkus was fully absorbed in keeping himself and Leia hidden as he maneuvered the two of them surreptitiously through the Death Star's interior toward her one chance at survival. Through the journey, he maintained a steady Force track on that Jedi, the muted but unmistakable light presence acting as a beacon leading him onward, though Arkus often strayed from the most direct route to seek out more secluded passages. Speed was essential, he knew, but the higher priority was stealth for as long as he could reasonably maintain it. Matters would get infinitely more complicated the instant Darth Vader learned of his intentions. Determined to delay that inevitability, Arkus kept the remainder of his essence very close in, guarding his thoughts and stretching his senses out only as far as a few meters ahead to give him a minimal warning of the presence of the others. 

Arkus regarded the increased number of stormtroopers patrolling the area as an unwelcome nuisance, their presence warning that at least Tarkin had discovered the Princess's absence. But from what Arkus could glean from the muddled thoughts of the stormtroopers, the cause of her disappearance was being attributed to a group of Rebels that were now running loose on the Death Star. This lead Arkus to believe that his father was not yet aware that the Princess was missing from Tarkin's view, because he was certain that Vader would have searched him out by now to at least verify he was not involved with it, and perhaps to solicit his help in locating her. The fact that Vader had made no effort to contact him strongly implied that his father was occupied elsewhere. While this was certainly a relief to Arkus on one level, the continued silence was also filling him with a growing concern over just what was involved with that "elsewhere". That concern kept him moving at a rapid pace, sparing little thought for the comfort of the princess he was all but dragging behind him.

For her part, Leia had long ago submitted to Arkus's rather rough guidance, her pride keeping her from complaining about the almost painfully tight grip he maintained on her wrist despite the cooperation she was showing. The renewed fear Arkus had inspired in her back in his quarters was subdued now, supplanted by an amazed curiosity as she observed and considered his actions. She was no longer surprised when Arkus simply stared at the control panel of a locked access way until the door inexplicably opened to admit them into a more secluded corridor or private turbolift. And she had come to expect the way he occasionally halted their progress to press the both of them back into the shadows until a group of armed stormtroopers passed by, miraculously not seeing them. Not once, though, did Arkus give her any indication of where they were going. Their entire journey was being conducted in absolute silence, leaving Leia to puzzle out Arkuks's intentions all on her own.

__

'Is this more of his "protection"?' Leia wondered. It was certainly obvious from the way he ducked any possible witnesses to their passage that whatever he was doing, it was against the wishes of Tarkin and Vader, but this gave Leia little comfort when she considered what Arkus's motives might possibly be. He was, after all, a Sith Lord, an irredeemably evil agent of the Empire likely driven only by his own sinister ambitions. Any sane individual would conclude so without hesitation after spending but a moment in his presence, and Leia had seen ample demonstrations of his malicious nature to set that judgment in permacrete. 

But she had seen other things, too. There had been deep pain in Arkus's eyes and a hint of empathy for the emotional pain she was feeling when he had first returned to her - a truly evil creature couldn't be capable of such emotions. He was helping her, a verified Rebel agent, avoid the clutches of the Empire's leadership – a loyal servant would never perpetrate such treason. These contradictions in his character screamed out to Leia as testimony to what might lay buried beneath his hardened exterior, urging her to have faith in him; yet she couldn't forget how he had nearly tricked her into betraying the Alliance once before. 

__

'How can I trust you?' Leia asked of Arkus. The question remained unanswered in her continual struggle to resolve the conflict between what she knew in her mind and what she felt in her heart. 

Leia slipped deeper into her reflections as Arkus lead them down a lengthy corridor with no incidents, her attention drifting slowly away from her previously careful study of his movements. She didn't detect the subtle shift in his posture that signaled he was about to stop, and failed to match the sudden change in his stride. Her misstep caused them to collide as he began turning to reverse directions, nearly knocking Leia off balance, but Arkus was already prepared for the impact. He moved quickly to steady Leia by way of his hold on her wrist, and pressed his other hand to her mouth to suppress the startled yelp that nearly escaped her lips as he shoved her forcefully back behind a pillar protruding from the bulkhead. 

__

'Stupid girl! This isn't a game!' Arkus seethed silently at Leia, a barely audible hiss communicating the level of his anger as he glared harshly into her now fearful eyes. He scrutinized her deeply, searching for a sign of understanding while he debated if she had the ability to remain quiet and stay hidden.

Leia trembled slightly under Arkus's tight hold and his continued punishing gaze, wondering what it was he was seeking from her and worrying that he might finally snap completely. Faint but increasingly clear echoes of marching guards, that Arkus had, of course, somehow detected long before her, finally gave Leia an answer, and assured her that his actions still fell into the realm of rational. She calmed her fluttering heart and did her best to appear apologetic over her near betrayal of their location, hoping that acknowledging her error would buy her forgiveness.

Arkus eased his tension in response to Leia's submission, and slowly released his hold on her mouth. He gave her one last scowl of warning to ensure the lesson was learned before turning his attention to the approaching patrol that had just rounded a corner to enter the corridor. A minimal application of the Force on the minds of the stormtroopers as they passed by convinced them not to look in their direction, and the threat of discovery was quickly over with the lives of those troops having been spared by Leia's timely comprehension. 

Leia relaxed more when the echoes of departing footfalls died away, fully expecting Arkus to resume their trek through the station at any moment, thereby giving her relief from the smothering feeling of his larger form pressing in on her. However, Arkus did not immediately move out again. There was another sense in the Force that had caught his attention, a tingling twinge of hatred that had pulsed out briefly from Darth Vader. This was not an emotion Arkus often felt from his father, and its occurrence at this juncture warranted some attention. A very gentle brush of inquiry provided Arkus the answer - Vader had found the Jedi and was preparing to confront him.

Dread washed over Arkus and sank slowly into the pit of his stomach as the weight of the revelation came down on his shoulders. Of course Vader would be out hunting the Jedi. Arkus felt a fool for not having realized that before. Always he had sensed that the Jedi was a warrior no longer in his prime, and now that Vader had found him first…_'He'll be killed.'_

Stunned at how suddenly his plan to save Leia had been shattered, Arkus half expected the previously persistent Force proddings to return once more to provide an answer, but that guidance was even more compelling in its absence. _'There's no other way,' _Arkus realized. Either he intervened in the coming battle to safeguard that Jedi, or he abandoned his commitment to Leia. Suddenly the often-imagined prospect of dueling in earnest with his father was very real indeed. 

A torrent of visions rushed into Arkus's thoughts, warning him of the possible ramifications to follow such a duel, but the burgeoning doubts born out of those images survived no longer than the time it took him to recognize that backing down meant deferring once again to his father. Then all hesitation was suddenly lost in a whirlwind of rising anger directed at the man who forever seemed to be interfering with his life. All the years of constant pressure, the endless attempts at trying to direct his thoughts, the open provocations and veiled manipulations Vader had attempted during this most recent assignment – it all came back to add fire to Arkus's anger and built it instantly into a blazing fury. He was sick of this man constantly baiting him and trying to control him, and Arkus now refused to tolerate Vader's interference with the completion of this one objective he was risking everything to achieve. Vader had been asking for this fight for some time, and now he would get it. The ramifications could be dealt with later.

Empowered by the dark strength of his new conviction and gripped by the urgency of the moment, Arkus turned back to Leia almost as an afterthought, and instantly silenced her growing confusion and annoyance over his lingering in their hiding place with the ominous gleam that flashed his eyes. "Hurry now," he commanded in a whisper, squeezing her wrist tighter still before pulling her quickly back out into the corridor to resume their journey. 

Leia followed Arkus in stunned silence once again, somehow more deeply frightened of him for the display of this calm malevolence than by all of his angered outbursts.

***

Now unencumbered by the bulky stormtrooper armor he had shed some time ago, Han maintained a good lead in front of his companions as he jogged down what he hoped was the last corridor between himself and the Falcon. He held his blaster at the ready, constantly searching the path forward for any intersecting passageway that might conceal an enemy. They had already stumbled across three different stormtrooper patrols in their trek through the maze of station's corridors. The first skirmish had effectively cut off the most direct route between the control room and the Falcon after Han had been forced to close and disable a blast door to evade the firefight. Fortunately the next two patrols had seemed much more interested in keeping them contained in the general area of the docking bay rather than pursuing them into it. While this was a clear indication of the Imperials' thoughts on their chances of escaping on the Falcon, it had also served to prevent Han's little group from getting too lost as they sought an alternative path to the ship.

Han began to slow his pace as he neared the end of the corridor, realizing that it did indeed open up into the docking bay and mindful of the squad of stormtroopers he had observed moving into that area earlier. He pressed himself hard against the wall to his right for the last few steps to stay out of the field of view of those occupying the bay, and then stopped to peer cautiously around the frame of the blast door. He was surprised to find that only five of those troops remained to guard his ship and that the docking bay seemed otherwise deserted - another sign of the Imperials' confidence that there was no escape to be found there. Han shoved that doubt aside for a moment and focused instead on assessing the Falcon's condition while he waited for Chewbacca to catch up with him.

The droids arrived first and noisily enough to earn them another scowl from Han before he turned his attention to the Wookie bringing up the rear. "The Falcon looks okay, if we can get to it," he informed Chewie, then returned his gaze to the docking bay to start formulating their next move. They had been fortunate enough to come upon an entrance to the bay located directly across from the ship and only a few meters back from the open boarding ramp. _'Now if only that "Jedi" managed to knock the tractor beam out of commission, we might have a chance.'_

Chewie voiced the concern in Han's thoughts with soft barks, and inquired if there was any sign of Obi-Wan out in the bay.

"No, nothing at all," Han answered as he intensified his scrutiny of the bay's darker recesses and other corridors visible from his vantage point. He felt his frustration rising again as he realized that they may well be forced to either wait exposed out in this corridor for a signal that might never come, or risk everything in a blind attempt to blast their way out. _'Unless…'_

Han quickly looked to the control panel on the wall beside him and found a conveniently placed computer access terminal. "You," he gestured to the astromech that had actually proven to be somewhat useful. "Plug in here and see what you can find out."

**

Obi-Wan strained to block Vader's increasingly powerful blows as he slowly backed away, biding his time until an opening presented itself. Each of his previous attempts at initiating an offensive had been quickly thwarted, making it quite apparent that the Sith Lord was little affected by his direct efforts at overcoming him. And now, only minutes into the duel, Obi-Wan was already forced to devote energy to contain his mounting fatigue while Vader's reserves seemed hardly tapped. Knowing that growing disparity would soon become the decisive factor in the duel if he didn't find a way to improve his circumstances, Obi-Wan poured the entirety of his strength into a well-placed parry, and then quickly followed up with a bold, lunging strike aimed high at Vader's head. Vader blocked the blow, as expected, but this time Obi-Wan didn't not immediately back off to initiate another attack. Instead he leaned harder against Vader's blade, challenging the strength of his opposition and creating a dangerous deadlock. 

Vader increased his counter pressure gradually, slowly twisting the locked lightsabers back toward Obi-Wan with a rising satisfaction easily sensed through the Force. Yet Obi-Wan persisted in the contest against the stronger Dark Lord, waiting for the tips of the blades to cross the neutral space between them before suddenly breaking contact and jumping sidewise to avoid Vader's blade as it came flying down unchecked. Momentarily hemmed in against the bulkhead, Obi-Wan then had to reach deep into the Force to find enough speed as he ducked and spun to evade Vader's rapidly executed follow-up that found its mark instead in a control panel mounted on the wall. The risky tactic paid off though, leaving Vader enough out of position to allow Obi-Wan to easily skirt around him to the other side. Now as he retreated, Obi-Wan would at least be moving closer to the docking bay rather than further away.

Obi-Wan quickly reestablished his battle stance, and used the brief interlude in the duel to blink the accumulating sweat away from his eyes as Vader turned to confront him once more. He could almost see the sneer displayed on Vader's face in response to this sign of weakness, but he also sensed that Vader would allow him some time to recover. _'All the more pleasurable to wear me down slowly,'_ Obi-Wan guessed. He took advantage of the opportunity, though, and cautiously held Vader at bay with a few circling feints as he dipped into the Force to replenish his energy and plan out his next move.

"Your powers are weak old man," Vader scoffed, being so bold as to take one hand off of his lightsaber to point a mocking finger at Obi-Wan. "You should not have come back. Surely you knew you could not hide from me. I would have thought you had learned that lesson on Enola."

Obi-Wan mentally cringed at the unexpected taunt, the echo of that planet's name ringing in his ears as he struggled to maintain his calm facade in the face of this harsh reminder of his failure there. He had long ago accepted the outcome that had doomed the best hope for the galaxy, but he had never quite been able to forgive himself for abandoning the boy he had sworn to protect with his life. The child's terrified Force screams still haunted his dreams. Try as he might, Obi-Wan could not suppress the twinge of pain that pierced his heart once more, betraying the effectiveness of Vader's emotional attack.

"I used to believe I should have waited for you there, and ended this then," Vader continued cruelly after he sensed he had indeed struck a nerve. "But how satisfying it is to know that you have lived with that failure all this time. Now you will die knowing you have delivered the Alliance to me as well," he goaded. 

__

'Not so!' Obi-Wan suddenly brightened, finding both a source of hope and a path to victory in the confidence Vader projected in his last statement. Vader truly believed that with him dead there would be no opposition to him crushing the Rebellion, but Obi-Wan knew better. Having already stretched his senses outward, he could now feel the presence of the pilot in the docking bay standing at the ready to board the ship. One of the many lessons Anakin had forever failed to grasp was the unlimited capability born of the strength and determination that could be found in the courageous heart of one ordinary sentient, and now as Darth Vader, he would surely underestimate Captain Solo. 

"You can never win, Anakin," Obi-Wan replied with a taunt of his own aimed at inciting the Dark Lord. "No matter how powerful you become in this life, all you touch will be destroyed, and there is only darkness waiting for you in death. But if you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine."

Even before the words were completely out of his mouth, Obi-Wan lunged at Vader with an attack meant to increase the angered reaction he felt building in the Dark Lord. The action had the desired result. Vader was forced to take a step backward to defend against the assault, but he quickly applied his full power and skill to wresting control from Obi-Wan. A few parried blows and Vader was suddenly on the offensive, driving Obi-Wan backward toward the entrance of the docking bay with a series of viciously powerful strikes.

"We shall see, old man," Vader sneered as he relentlessly pursued his old nemesis.

**

Arkus's anger continued to build as he ran down the last few deserted corridors between him and his fight. He knew that the duel between the Jedi and Darth Vader was already underway. The Force was literally charged by the clashing lightsabers and the intense concentration of both combatants, making it possible for Arkus actually feel the two of them battling each other both physically and emotionally. It was a battle that should be his, that would be his soon. Now that the last of the patrols were safely bypassed, there was no reason for him not to be there already. No reason except the pathetically slow woman he was shackled with.

"Faster," Arkus demanded of her once more, barely giving her a backward glare to add force to his command.

"I can't!"

"You can!" 

"No, please!" Leia gasped, nearly completely out of breath as she struggled to maintain her footing in the slick dress boots confounding her efforts to keep up with Arkus. 

Her nearly tripping like a feeble incompetent disgusted Arkus past his limits. He abruptly stopped and wheeled back on Leia, allowing her to collide with him before roughly grabbing her chin in his right hand. He brought her face up to his and locked her shocked and fearful eyes into his intense stare. 

"Like this!" he hissed as he brutally forced his way into her mind, smashing effortlessly through every makeshift barrier that stood in the way of his invasion. Anchoring himself firmly in the edge between her conscious and subconscious thoughts, he burned into her frantic mind a series of visions and sensations designed to instantaneously implant the rudimentary instructions to open her to the Force and allow her to tap her inherent abilities. 

Leia squirmed in Arkus's mental clutch until the images he was forcing upon her overwhelmed her completely. Doors in her mind she hadn't even known existed flew open at his command to reveal the presence of a bright and powerful aura seemingly at her fingertips to control. Simultaneously frightened and awestruck, Leia slipped into a state of shock as she tried for the barest of seconds to assimilate the flood of incredible sensations that pulsed out from the aura to course through her body and soul. Then Arkus's domineering presence gripped her astounded mind in a vice-like hold and plunged her fully into the depths of that newly discovered world.

"Now move!" 

Arkus bellowed the command both verbally and mentally as he seized complete control of Leia's mind and exerted the full force of his will upon her. He dragged her through the simple process of reaching into the Force to supplement one's physical abilities, and used their link to force her to follow his example as he employed the tactic himself. So joined, Leia successfully tapped the Force for the first time, though she had no actual control herself. Her body simply did as he commanded as the two of them burst into a run at incredible speed.

Images and sensations even more bewildering than this impossible feat came with Leia's immersion into the world of the Force. Now she too was aware of the lightsaber duel in progress somewhere up ahead. She could feel the fury boiling off of Darth Vader as he pursued his opponent, and could sense the deep calm that the other embodied as he prepared for his death. Most clearly though, she could feel the intense rejection of this apparent outcome that screamed out from Arkus. 

The strength of Arkus's rage shot through Leia, bringing into focus a violently churning storm of impenetrable darkness that swirled dizzyingly around the periphery of her new vision. It was so different and yet somehow akin to the beautiful aura Arkus had first shown her, and filled with a power so intense as to be palpable. That power responded instantly to Arkus's summons, sending forth a wave of malevolent energy that inundated Leia's spirit with its dark essence as it swept over her to quickly coalesce into a single point at Arkus's control. Swelled with a sense of power she could not comprehend, Leia felt as if her heart exploded when Arkus next unleashed that concentrated energy in a kinetic blast that flew down the corridor like a terrifying howl, heralding their approach to the combatants just ahead of them. The last event Leia registered was a vision of Arkus grasping for his lightsaber, and then suddenly she was blinded to his world again, released both physically and mentally from Arkus's hold and left completely to her own devices to stop her now out of control momentum. 

**

Obi-Wan continued to back willing away from Vader's powerful strikes, no longer sparing the energy to mount any sort of offensive of his own. A dozen more meters worth of retreat and their battle would reach the entrance to the docking bay that held the Millennium Falcon. It was there Obi-Wan planned to make his last stand, knowing he had no chance of escape himself but intending to make enough of a show out this duel to attract the attention of the stormtroopers he could sense in the bay. The distraction would give Captain Solo an opportunity to make a break for the ship, and the inevitable conclusion of the fight would be a clear signal to take off. Beyond those objectives, Obi-Wan could see little else that could be gained with his aged skills, except perhaps one departing lesson for his fallen apprentice. 

With a growing sense of serenity, Obi-Wan accepted the coming death and began to calm his being in preparation for transcendence even as he struggled to block Vader's attacks for a few moments more. He was ill prepared for the roar of dark energy that lashed out at him from the direction of the corridor he had just retreated down. The force of that blast caught him squarely in the chest, flinging him backward and knocking him well clear of Vader's reach. Momentarily stunned, Obi-Wan landed hard on the floor in a semi-upright position that he struggled to maintain lest he fall completely onto his back. He regained his senses just in time to see Darth Vader spin about to meet a racing black blur that resolved itself into a frightfully enraged youth wielding a deep violet, nearly black lightsaber.


	21. Chap 21 A Collision of Fates

Chapter 21 – A Collision of Fates

The blast of Force energy that exploded out of nowhere to slam into Obi-Wan came imprinted with a signature all too familiar to Darth Vader in its source if not in the intensity of its passion. That passion carried a warning of its own, electrifying every nerve and circuit in Vader's body with an urgent sense that he was the true target of the new and deadly threat charging at his back. Responding on instinct alone, Vader instantly disregarded the winded Jedi and spun hard to the right with his lightsaber forcefully leading the way to deflect the descending, backhanded slash he suddenly sensed aimed at his head. But there was no real power behind Arkus's single-handed swipe, its intent being not to kill, but to quickly draw Vader into action before the larger Sith Lord had a chance to establish any sort of battle stance. Vader's nearly blind swing plowed through it, easily batting Arkus's blade away and then continuing on its path to leave Vader fully extended before he could realize his error. Then Arkus was practically on top of him, the boy's feet landing in stride from the flying leap that had served to diminish his forward momentum, his lightsaber already being shifted down and around to follow-up with a much more powerful attack from Vader's left. 

Vader began stumbling backward in a stunned attempt to keep some space between them as he snapped his lightsaber back in front of him to ward off the coming blow. He managed only a clumsy, close-in block, the impact of their blades absorbing the remainder of Arkus's unwanted momentum while causing Vader to stumble further in search of a defensible position. Another quick, powerful strike delivered and barely parried before Vader could recover completely, and a pattern of forced retreat was firmly established. Arkus pressed his advantage mercilessly, continuing the fervor of his drive with an advancing frenzy of short, chopping strikes that kept the two in close proximity, and prevented Vader from bringing his superior strength to bear as each blocked attack brought the battle steadily closer to the now forgotten Jedi.

Their approach found Obi-Wan still rooted in his semi-seated position, too enthralled by the mystery of the newcomer to think about moving as he strained to get a sense of the boy's identity and intentions through the Force din of the fight. The whirlwind of raging emotions he received in response to his inquiry sent his perception of balance reeling and blurred his vision back into an image of the enigmatic storm that had loomed over him throughout every stage of his journey. _'Here is your source,'_ the Force vision mocked him once more, presenting the boy only in brief glimpses through the strobing flashes of the lightsabers, and challenging Obi-Wan to dispel the veil of assumptions that continued to interfere with full comprehension. 

There, despite the Sith's mantra of only two, was undeniably a third Sith, the missing piece to all of Obi-Wan's theories regarding the elusive power driving the storm. But acknowledging that first violation of his accepted order for the galaxy only generated more questions and confusion in Obi-Wan's resisting mind. Where had the boy come from? And what could have possibly possessed the Emperor and Vader to risk his existence, one so powerful as to be capable of this level of disruption in the Force, while they both still reigned? Again the sense of mocking came in reply, but this time the vision provided an echo of an answer, twisting and blending the boy's sense in the Force with that of Darth Vader's, and allowing the first clear view of the face that so resembled that of a younger, newly corrupted Anakin just as the two combatants moved even with Obi-Wan's position. And then understanding came crashing in…

"**_Luke?!_**"

Though barely whispered audibly, Obi-Wan's stunned recognition screamed out deafeningly through the Force, pulsing through an emaciated bond to explode within Arkus's mind. The powerful injection of emotion from such an unexpected quarter jolted Arkus to his core, and jerked his charge at Vader to a halt as his full attention instantly snapped around in response to a name that had no meaning for him. Shocked into immobility, Arkus glared down at the sprawled form of the old Jedi, his cruel glare boring holes into Obi-Wan as he pushed through the confusion in an attempt to glean some reason for the Jedi's outburst and why he had felt so compelled to respond to it. Obi-Wan did not shrink from the scrutiny, but locked eyes with the youth, searching Arkus's cold gaze for any trace at all of the caring, inquisitive boy he had once sheltered. 

Vader knew only that he was suddenly no longer the center of Arkus's focus. His clear sense of the boy's enraged intentions utterly shattered in his Force vision, the fore-image of the next blow to come evaporating in a wisp of altered futures. The abatement of the frenetic level of Vader's danger sense brought reassurance that this was no ruse, but still inertia carried the Sith backward to the parrying position for an attack that would never come. Moving his blade back to a neutral position as he took the additional step to finally open up his defense, Vader sought out the cause of the interruption with his natural vision. He found Arkus genuinely distracted, the boy's head turned foolishly toward his left to stare down at Obi-Wan with a look of contemptuous confusion displayed across his face. 

However, it was Arkus's lightsaber that dominated Vader's perception, blocking out any curiosity over what Obi-Wan had done to so effectively re-direct the boy's interest as he began to absorb the sheer audacity of Arkus's ambush. The disdainful aftertaste of fear lingered in Vader's mouth as he took in the blade's now steady position, held upright off to Arkus's right in a pose that could only have been the beginning of his next strike, and in Vader's next heartbeat a thirst for vengeance was born. The shift in Vader's stance was automatic, driven by primal instincts that would not be denied, as in one fluid motion he initiated a smooth, powerful swing to attack from Arkus's blind side. 

Obi-Wan registered the danger first, with the movement of Vader's red blade flashing in the background of his view providing the necessary cue to grip his attention. His heart leapt in fear as his mind frantically began to form a warning to his one-time ward. The thought was unnecessary, though, as the look of horror that flashed into Obi-Wan's eyes was sufficient to break Arkus out of his momentary spell and re-attune his awareness to his danger sense now blaring an alarm. Too late to completely block the blow aimed at his mid-section, Arkus had to settle for a weak deflection, leaning back hard to his left and twisting his lightsaber down to catch Vader's blade at the near completion of its trajectory. The impact knocked Vader's blade out of the kill zone, but as his lightsaber slid down the length of Arkus's blade, the momentum of the swing carried the tip forward enough to knick the outside of Arkus's right leg just below the knee. 

Arkus cried out in pain and staggered quickly leftward, favoring his injured leg and probing with the Force to assess the extent of the wound even as he brought his lightsaber back up to guard for Vader's next attack. He stopped his retreat short of running into the wall, and found himself nearly side-by-side with the old Jedi, who had since leapt up from the floor and retrieved his own lightsaber in preparation to confront Vader once again. Arkus sneered inwardly as he sensed the Jedi's foolish instinct to protect him, and scowled even more contemptuously at Vader when he realized his father had failed to setup for another attack. Instead, Vader stood frozen before him in a guard position with shock and concern flowing off of him at the realization that he had nearly killed his son.

Arkus immediately used the break in the fight to test the strength of his injured leg, subtly shifting his weight onto it while he maintained a vigilant bead on the intentions of the others caught in this stalemate. He felt the confused hesitancy of the Jedi to his left, who was debating if he should ignite his lightsaber and rejoin the battle, unsure if his interference would be a wise or welcomed move. He measured the wary posture of Vader, whose attention now seemed equally divided between the known threat of the Jedi and assessing the uncertain physical and emotional condition of his son. They were locked in place by their indecision, which was fine by Arkus for the moment it took him to explore his new handicap. He was pleased to discover that his leg bore the burden of his weight with a tolerable complaint, indicating that the damage to his calf muscle was minor – enough, perhaps, to prevent him from leading a lunge with his right leg, but far short of hobbling him. 

But now what? The question weighed triply heavily on Arkus's mind, seeming to echo through the thoughts of those he monitored. He was so close to achieving his goal now, to see that Leia made it to that ship. He could even see the opening to the docking bay a scant half dozen meters behind Vader, its proximity belying the effort it would take to get there. _'Just to there,'_ Arkus thought, seeking to strengthen his resolve as he wrung his hands tightly around the grip of his lightsaber. Yet doubts began springing anew in his mind. He'd have to push Vader beyond that opening and hold him there, clearing a path so that even that Jedi could get to Leia and manage to slip her past. That was if the Jedi was even aware enough to pick up on Arkus's intentions in the first place. All would be lost if Vader figured it out first.

With each tension-stretched second, matters were slipping further and further out of Arkus's control, and still the Jedi failed to extend his senses to seek the cause of the conflict Arkus had initiated. Arkus flushed in irritation at the demonstrated incompetence of the man – an idiot for not being able to consider more than what was right before his eyes, a fool that ridiculous outburst that had ultimately caused this standoff. Truly, he should just step aside and allow Vader to finish him off.

But Arkus had already gone too far for this encounter to end any way but badly for him, and he would not now surrender to the fate that awaited him without seeing the matter through. Resetting his determination with clenched teeth, Arkus pushed back against the temptation to give in and immediately encountered an unmistakably external force that had at first been so subtle as to blend in with his natural thought flow. Vader – suggesting that their personal conflict should be dealt with later, and attempting to prod him, nearly successfully, into backing away.

__

~Back off!~ Arkus seethed at Vader in open rebellion at the underhanded attempt to manipulate his subconscious thoughts, nearly launching his attack anew for the unforgivable offense. 

Vader withdrew quickly, however, clearly surprised by Arkus's caustic response to his attempt at a subdued telepathic communication, but now convinced by his son's continued inaction that the boy had blundered into a situation of which he had no understanding. Willing to grant his son some latitude to diffuse the situation, Vader projected calm toward the strained control he sensed in Arkus, and tried reasoning with him again through a less private, but also less intrusive medium. "This matter does not concern you," Vader began out loud, but he got no further. A soft moan echoed up the corridor, interrupting his train of thought as he turned his attention toward the source of the cry.

****

"NOOOO!"

The viciousness of that bellowed scream paled in comparison to the shock wave of rage that pulsed through the Force, an eruption of raw, desperate emotion that clearly predicted the reckless lunge past Obi-Wan that Arkus launched within the same breath. Vader reacted instantly, jerking his lightsaber forcefully to deflect the thrusting attack and backing quickly out of range in startled confusion at his son's irrational response to a seemingly inconsequential event. He watched in near disbelief as Arkus stumbled hard and almost hit the floor in an attempt at an immediate pursuit that proved too demanding for his injured leg. Arkus was wide open for a counter strike in that moment, but Vader let the opportunity pass, choosing instead to back away further and concentrate on processing the significance of the shadowed, prone figure of whom he'd caught but a glimpse. 

The reprieve gave Arkus the time he needed to recover his balance, and the sight of the ground he had managed to gain gave new hope that he might yet be able to accomplish Leia's escape. So long as his father remained wrapped up in his desire for a peaceful solution to their confrontation. So long as that Jedi snapped out of his baffled observation and managed to act.

"Get her out of here, Jedi!" Arkus hissed furiously back over his shoulder as he launched toward Vader again to take full advantage of the shock his words delivered.

The order gave Obi-Wan a new purpose and enough of an understanding that he immediately turned his entire focus on the form of the splayed out woman lying several meters back up the corridor. Sensing her identity, but not daring to hope it to be true, he rushed to her side as he heard the resumption of clashing lightsabers behind him. 

"Leia!" Obi-Wan whispered in amazement, wrapping his arm around her to begin helping her up. She wasn't really injured, he assessed, just dazed and winded from what must have been Luke dragging her there at his Force-enhanced speed only to dump her at the edge of the battle zone. Obi-Wan didn't pause to question the means or motive behind Leia's deliverance any further, but quickly pulled her to feet and nudged her bewildered mind toward full alertness through the Force. His efforts were instantly rewarded with a sudden stiffening of her muscles and a tightening of her grip on his arm.

"What…" Leia began as she turned her eyes toward the man helping her up, but the intensity of his expression cut off her question even before his words did.

"This way, Leia. We must hurry," Obi-Wan prodded, sending both reassurance and urgency through the Force.

Leia began following his lead without question, though her mind raced to gain a solid understanding of her new situation. Her eyes darted in the direction the man was guiding her toward, and were greeted with the startling sight of a heated lightsaber duel in progress right before her. _'Arkus and Vader!'_ she realized in shock. The astonishing scene brought back the myriad visions and emotions she had absorbed during her brief emersion in the Force, and provided the necessary perspective for her to piece the rest of the puzzle together. "Obi-Wan?!" Leia gasped at her companion.

Obi-Wan only gave a slight nod of acknowledgement as he pushed Leia into a run toward the open blast doors. He saw that Luke had managed to force Vader back far enough to create a safe path for Leia and him to pass through, but the tide of the battle had since turned, with Vader now fully comprehending Luke's intentions and unleashing his rage in a continuous barrage of savage attacks. Luke's body shook with the strain of each block, but he managed to hold his ground with what could only be sheer determination. Obi-Wan had no idea if or for how long Luke could sustain that punishment, but it was absolutely clear that this was now a contest between two Sith, and his assistance was neither expected nor wanted. So Obi-Wan concentrated on saving the one Skywalker he could, and spared only a parting glance at her brother as he slipped Leia behind the battle and into the docking bay.

***

Han resumed his distant watch over the Falcon with restless and assessing eyes as the astromech went about searching the Imperial database for any pertinent information on their current situation. There was no indication of any alarm in the bay, and the stance of the stormtroopers indicated that they were growing bored and sloppy - a good sign that they were vulnerable to a surprise attack. But there were five of them and only Chewie and himself to launch such an attack. The stormtroopers had the Falcon's boarding ramp to duck behind to establish a defensive position, while there was nothing between this entrance to the docking bay and the ship to offer any cover for an assault once the initial surprise was lost. It would only take one stormtrooper to call for backup while another held them at bay, and it would only be a few minutes before that backup arrived. If they didn't make itto the ship before then… Well, then he and Chewie were likely dead.

So they would simply have to make it to the ship before then, Han concluded, deciding he could figure out how as the situation unfolded and already growing anxious to act on his impulse before matters turned worse.

A sudden burst of chirps and whistles from the astromech broke into the mounting tension in Han's thoughts and wheeled his attention back to the noisy droids. "What?" he demanded of Threepio, as much in irritation as in interest in whatever the other droid had discovered.

"He says they lost her. That the…" Threepio began translating, but Han cut him off harshly.

"Her?! What do you mean her?" 

"Princess Leia, sir. Apparently she's not where…"

"I told you I don't care about that princess," Han warned with a scowl of growing aggravation.

"But the patrols, sir. They were dispatched to search for **her**. There are only a few reports of our presence, and no other direct orders concerning…"

Threepio continued rattling on, but Han had quit listening at the beginning of the explanation, trying to pin down the source of the bad feeling that was beginning to form in his gut. Prisoners didn't just get lost, especially on an Imperial military installation. This princess's ties to the Jedi, the apparent timing of her "disappearance" – these were two coincidences that didn't feel as though they could be completely unrelated.

Chewbacca barked a warning of his own, finally cutting off Threepio and alerting Han to activity in the bay. Han turned about immediately and took notice of the stormtroopers inexplicably abandoning their post to rush forward of the Falcon and disappear somewhere on the other side of a large, open elevator well. The ship was now practically unguarded with a clear path open to the boarding ramp yawning open in warm invitation.

Not one to question a stroke of blind luck, Han instantly forgot his worries over the Jedi and princess. "Now's our chance. Cover me," he ordered Chewie over his shoulder, barely waiting until Chewbacca began moving to setup before dashing out into the bay in a sidewise run with his eyes and blaster locked onto the backs of the stormtroopers.

Han made it to the mid-way point before the echoing bursts of strange squeals and screeches reached his ears, raising his first concerns over exactly what had distracted the guards. Already slowing his progress to provide cover for Chewbacca and the slower droids as they began their advance toward the Falcon, Han hesitated more when accompanying bright flashes of light became visible from the recess of the docking bay entrance occupying the stormtroopers' attention. His first thought was that the Jedi had to be involved somehow, but though the two combatants responsible for the ruckus were wielding what could only be lightsabers, it was clear with little scrutiny that neither was the old man. The larger of the two, covered completely in what appeared to be black armor, was launching an impressive offensive on the second black-clad figure, who was doing an equally impressive job of blunting each attack. Their lightsabers moved with such speed as to challenge the human eye to track the movements in a show sure to captivate any casual bystanders, but the contest was of little interest to Han so long as it continued to entertain the stormtroopers long enough for his party to make it aboard the Falcon.

He spared a glance toward his ship and saw that Chewbacca had already made it to the boarding ramp and was set up to provide cover once again. The droids weren't far behind, and would be aboard shortly. Satisfied that they would make it, Han relaxed his guard to begin moving again toward the Falcon, but a blur of movement caught out of the corner of his eye suddenly returned his attention toward the lightsaber duel. There, coming from around the nearest corner of the blast doors, was the old man leading a rather over-dressed female that just had to be that princess the droids had been babbling about.

"Son of a Hutt! I shoulda known!" Han cursed as he opened fire on the stormtroopers to divert their attention and maybe give the crazy old man charging directly at them an outside chance at making it to the ship.

But the Jedi quickly demonstrated that he was quite able to do his own part in evening the odds, his lightsaber already blazing to life to catch the first blaster bolts aimed at him as the stormtroopers began to react to his rush. He slowed his pace only slightly to handle the initial volley while maintaining his coverage of Leia until the addition of Han's, and then Chewbacca's, fire caused three of the stormtroopers to scatter and turn their attention toward the Falcon. Then with only two stormtroopers concentrating on him, Obi-Wan was able to take the necessary care in positioning his lightsaber, and returned the next two shots back into his assailants, sending them to their deaths and clearing a path to the ship around the outside edge of the elevator well. Another stormtrooper fell to Chewbacca's fire, and Obi-Wan began running toward the Falcon again, this time behind Leia to continue to catch the occasional shot aimed in their direction as blaster bolts crisscrossed haphazardly across the bay.

Han also moved toward the Falcon while he continued to lay down cover fire. "Chewie, get her powered up!" he yelled over the din when the fourth trooper dropped. 

Chewbacca immediately fell back out of the fight and raced up the boarding ramp, relinquishing his well-shielded site underneath the ship to his approaching friend. Han quickly took up the position and began taking better aim at the remaining stormtrooper. His shots finally found their mark just as the woman and the Jedi arrived at the ship. As those two headed up the boarding ramp, Han turned his attention to the lightsaber duel still in progress, wondering if he should try to blast the door to cut off any Imperial reinforcements that might be following that battle, or if perhaps one of those combatants was a friend of the Jedi in need of cover fire to make it to the ship.

Obi-Wan provided an answer of sort, calling down from the top of the ramp, "Time to go. Now." 

"Don't have to tell me twice," Han answered after the man, and quickly abandoned his study of the duel to dart up into the Falcon.

***

Vader's blows continued to batter Arkus with ferocity he had never before experienced from his father, and with a level of rage he had not believed his father capable of attaining. The power behind each strike was nearly overwhelming for the younger Sith, with Vader holding none of his physical strength in check in his blind determination to get to the Jedi now running freely toward the ship in the docking bay. Arkus continued to face the assault head-on, foregoing his advantage in speed and agility that would have allowed him to nimbly dance around and away from the main force of the attacks until an opening presented itself. He couldn't risk allowing Vader past him in such a move, and so chose instead to concentrate solely on meeting each attack with a solid parry. The effort had already coated Arkus's body in a heavy sheen of sweat; yet it wasn't the intensity of the duel alone that was taking its toll so quickly.

Matters had actually been better for Arkus while the Jedi had still been trapped behind him in the corridor. Despite being even more restricted in the freedom of his movements, he'd had more success in bracing for each impact with Vader's lightsaber, and the grueling effects of each of those hits had been much easier to shake off. He had been able to get in a few slashing counter-strikes, and had even managed to launch one very well placed and timed attack that had neatly shifted the battle just enough to allow him to rotate his position 90 degrees to track the path of the Jedi as the old man had moved behind him. He'd poured everything into that one critical turn, ever so careful to always keep himself directly between Vader and Leia's savior. His focus in the Force had been so clear then, and the dark side had provided all the endurance he needed to accomplish that feat. Something had changed, though, as Leia had passed by him, something that had severely drained his reserves. 

Arkus couldn't blame the brutal chop of Vader's blade that had descended upon his head in that moment. Though the shock of blocking that strike had jarred every bone in his body, it had not winded him nearly as effectively as the horrible sensation of something being torn away from his soul as the faint breeze of Leia's passage had caressed his spirit. Gasping physically to recover from the double blow, he had not been able to tap the Force to regenerate his strength. Instead, all he had felt was relief as he realized the Jedi would be able to handle the stormtroopers in the bay without assistance, the strange sensation somehow bleeding away the anger that had been fueling his drive.

That first fissure in his resolve to continue the duel with his father for his own purposes was growing fast now, quickly disintegrating the illusion that he'd had any self-serving desire for vengeance in initiating this fight, and eroding the delusion that he had ever intended to serve the Empire's best interest when it had come to dealing with Leia. Everything had been about seeing to her safety, and now he knew he had done everything possible to secure it. 

Yes, she would make it. Even with his back to the ship that would provide her passage, Arkus could feel each step of her progression toward freedom, distances that could be measured in meters feeling more like light years to him in the Force.

And Vader knew this too. The blows that had been designed to just knock him out of the way now rained down upon Arkus in endless accusations of treason that he could not refute. The hated Jedi would escape because of him. 

The shots of pain that erupted from Arkus's leg with each received attack no longer provided a surge of dark energy to fuel his fight, but rather burned with the depth of his betrayal of the principles that had given him that power. His wrists were numb from directly absorbing the shock of more violent impacts than he could count. His head now throbbed with thoughts of the punishment that awaited him at the Emperor's hands. 

Arkus began to back away before the assault, slowly allowing the duel to cross the threshold into the docking bay as he focused fiercely on enduring for just a few moments more. Finally, the sound of repulsors firing filled the bay, and somewhere in the corner of his mind's eye, Arkus saw the freighter rise up off the deck. The last of his strength disappeared in a wisp, and Arkus fell suddenly to his knees. His head lowered, his lightsaber deactivated, he waited openly for Vader's swing in progress to bring the judgment he deserved as he reached out one last time for the warm sense of the one person he had dared to care about. 

__

~Goodbye, sweet Leia~ he sent with his last conscious thought. Then a blinding flash of light and pain exploded in his head, and all was dark.

***

Leia burst into the cockpit of the ship she had boarded, and promptly planted herself in the narrow opening between the two pilot chairs, her forward progress halted only by the massive form of a Wookiee barely contained in the seat to her right. She paid no attention to the side-wise glance and warning grunt she received in response to her forceful entry, but leaned in even further until she was in danger of getting knocked by the Wookiee's elbow as his fingers moved hurriedly over the forward control panels. Deep hums of equipment and engine drivers coming to life rumbled through the ship as it was prepared for departure, but that progress captured none of Leia's interest. Her attention was riveted on the all too distant battle visible through the cockpit's viewport. 

There were no immediate signs that Arkus was in any real trouble in his duel with Darth Vader. In a second's passing Leia could see that he had prevented Vader from making any significant advance into the docking bay despite the intensity of his attacks. Only now did Arkus begin backing away in what appeared more to be a strategic move than a retreat, and he still continued to intercept each of Vader's swings with a speed and accuracy that made her marvel at his skill. But there was something in his presence that was wavering. A barely perceptible slump to his shoulders perhaps, or a slight tremble in his stance that persisted after the effect of a hit should have passed. It was something she had felt begin to falter as she ran across the docking bay, a spreading collapse she knew only she could see.

Obi-Wan entered behind her, placing his hand on her shoulder and saying something urgently directed at her. She couldn't quite hear him, though. She could barely feel his fingers gently tugging at her arm.

"Out of my way, sister!"

The harsh words came maybe two breaths later, penetrating her mesmerized state as harder hands forcefully shoved her aside and ripped her hand away from the tight hold she'd had on the back of the pilot's chair. A man with a decidedly musty aroma pushed himself past her, nearly stumbling from the entanglement of their feet until he secured himself in his seat. Yet Leia's eyes remained locked on Arkus, and she resumed her former position as soon as she was able, gripped by a growing fear that dominated her reason. 

"Tell me you got that tractor beam out of commission!" the stranger demanded as he took control of the ship.

"It's taken care of," Obi-Wan replied, the words sounding strangely muffled to Leia. The duel she watched seemed so much closer.

Another rumble and a loud whine filled the ship in response to the pilot's actions. _'Repulsors firing,'_ Leia realized sluggishly as the scene before her began drifting downward in her vision. 

Obi-Wan took hold of her again, taking both shoulders in his hands this time as he started insistently pulling her backward. He spoke more urgent words of the need to get strapped-in, but she couldn't heed them. Instead she clung to the pilot chairs, determined to witness Arkus's fate to the bitter end.

There was no obvious warning she saw, no last desperate move that would signify a defeat met with a rage-filled defiance she might earlier have expected from Arkus. He simply buckled after successfully blocking one last attack, crumbling suddenly and completely to his knees in a physical manifestation of the inner collapse that had eaten away his core. 

Leia gasped sharply at the horrifying image of his fall, the emotional plummet of her heart loosening her grip enough to allow Obi-Wan to make some progress in his attempt at moving her. The ship was already backing up and turning about in the bay, taking Arkus steadily out of Leia's field of view, removing him from her life. Then…

__

~Goodbye, sweet Leia~

"Arkus!" Leia screamed, suddenly thrusting her hand out toward Arkus and lunging as far forward as she could in an attempt to return affection she knew to be far too late in coming.

Curses erupted from the pilot, and Leia was completely mugged from behind. There was no more gentle care in the hands and arms that encircled her, dragging her physically from the cockpit toward the hold area. Tears stung Leia's eyes, making it impossible for her to know whether it was the motion of the ship or her removal from the cockpit that finally cut off her view. Her last clear vision of Arkus was of him kneeling submissively before Vader, the trajectory of the red lightsaber descending upon him already being compensated for the change in his position. Then a numbing blackness blanketed her spirit, and she didn't need to see him to know it was over. 

Obi-Wan forced her trembling and suddenly uncaring form onto a couch, deftly strapping her in first before seeing to himself a fraction of a second before the main engines kicked in. The shuddering of the ship as it passed through the range of the weakened tractor beam began shaking some sense of Leia's own situation back into her, slowly lifting a veil of oppression from her spirit as each passing moment took her further from the grip of her tormentors. Yet the hopeless emotion embedded in Arkus's last message continued to echo hollowly through her, and caused her to wrap her arms around herself to comfort the inexplicable sense of loss she felt.

As the ride smoothed out, Leia finally felt as though she had some control again. She closed her eyes tightly and took a deep breath to chase away the last of the trembles, letting her arms fall down slowly into a more dignified position before she turned to Obi-Wan. He appeared to her a pillar of strength, exuding comfort and concern through more than just the kind eyes he had focused exclusively on her. There was an aura of warmth about him, and a sense of power and wisdom that instantly convinced her he had access to the knowledge she needed. Fighting back her fear of the answer, she asked him desperately, "Is he dead?" 

Obi-Wan drew back from the question, wanting to know the answer himself but somewhat concerned that these were the first words from Leia's mouth. She leaned forward slightly, imploring him with her eyes, and he was surprised to feel a tendril of supplication chase after his hesitation in the Force, a subconscious application of her talent that both deepened his concern and convinced him that there would be no further calming of Leia's turmoil until she knew Luke's fate. He took a deep breath of his own as he regarded Leia harder for a moment, then reluctantly set his worry aside and closed his eyes to stretch out his senses. 

The remnants of the Force storm were still there in blown–off, dissipated fragments that swirled lazily around the imploded core, slowly being sucked back into the singularity that existed in place of the powerful heart that had birthed them. Obi-Wan reached carefully into the cold, murky center, simultaneously probing for any sign of a pulse along the old bond he'd once shared with Luke. After a long moment, he felt one, buried and unresponsive, but steady enough to assure life existed. The circumstances in which it existed were muddled, though, with no path to the future apparent, and few visible links to the past. 

"No, he's alive," Obi-Wan responded neutrally as he withdrew himself from the trance. He looked deeply into Leia's eyes to judge her forming reaction before adding, "for now."

Leia's eyes dropped slowly to her hands in her lap, her shoulders slumping deeply with both relief and feelings of guilt. "Then I abandoned him," she uttered quietly.

Obi-Wan withdrew from Leia again with grave concerns about the corrupting influence she had been subjected to, but the forlorn self-condemnation soon stung his heart with memories of his own failures in regards to that boy. He increased the level of reassurance he was sending her, and gently took her hands. "There was nothing we could have done." 

***

A deathly silence filled the docking bay in the wake of the freighter's departure, chasing away the echoes of concluded battles in seeming deference to the fuming Sith Lord left standing frozen in his useless rage. Even the small windstorms from the ship's repulsors settled obediently before his towering figure without so much as stirring his cape, lest that single brush break him violently out of his tensed stillness. The fixed visage of his mask hid much of Darth Vader's internalized fury, but clenched and slightly shaking fists held rigid at his sides communicated his temper with perfect clarity. The deactivated lightsaber still held in his hand was in danger of being crushed by the force of that grip, perhaps in a symbolic release of his true desire to throttle the boy, whose body lay motionless at the bottom of the elevator well.

Vader stood at the very edge of the ten-meter drop, glaring searing holes into Arkus's form as he struggled with the powerful urge to jump down after him. How richly the boy deserved a continuation in the beating. For Obi-Wan's escape and the treachery of his attack, most assuredly, but also for falling so blindly prey to the Emperor's manipulations; for his shortsightedness with that princess; for nearly throwing his own life away in such a stupid move. Too many reasons competed for priority in Vader's mind for him to sort them out and form coherent thought; yet it only took the sight of blood gushing brightly red from the split along Arkus's cheekbone to make some vague part of Vader quietly grateful that his son was out of immediate range of his wrath.

__

'Enough,' Vader tersely advised himself, controlling his darker drives by convincing himself there was nothing more to be gained by inflicting further injury. The boy was already unconscious, rendered so by the last minute shift in Vader's swing that had ended with a backhanded blow to Arkus's right temple and a hit to his jawbone with the hilt of Vader's lightsaber. The vicious, Force-enhanced kick that Vader had delivered in follow-up had surely incapacitated him beyond immediate recovery. It had certainly been enough to produce the sickening sound of cracking ribs and the impressive, if short, flight of his body that had ultimately sent him tumbling down into the open well. Arkus was clearly beyond any ability to cause further trouble, and the punishment that was truly deserved was likely best delivered to a lucid mind, whatever form that punishment ended up taking.

Vader had little opportunity to ponder those possibilities. The sound of charging stormtroopers coming from the corridor where the ill-fated duel had begun brought Vader sharply back from his focus on Arkus, and at last provided a definite path for immediate action.

"Stand down, you fools!" he bellowed, wheeling violently about to meet the patrol just as they rounded the corner. "The Rebels are already away." 

The lead stormtroopers skidded to a stunned halt, nearly causing a chain-reaction collision through the following ranks in their haste to obey the imposing and obviously furious Dark Lord. They reeked of their fear in a despicable display that left no doubt in Vader's mind that these were Tarkin's men. His own troops had more dignity than to act so, even when facing sure consequences.

The thought of Tarkin brought other concerns to mind, though, and warned Vader that he must act quickly if anything was to be salvaged from this disaster. Addressing the lead trooper in slightly more controlled tones, he immediately ordered, "Report in to your commander, and have the Governor informed that the freighter is to be allowed to leave by my order. Then end this pointless alert, and return to your duty stations."

"Yes, My Lord," the stormtrooper hurriedly acknowledged. He then turned about as quickly as military decorum allowed, and marched off the way he had come with the rest of the patrol in tow.

Vader watched them leave, using the time to silently disperse the remains of his rage through the deepest breaths his respirator would allow. Once he was alone again, he returned his attention to the elevator well and regarded Arkus for a moment longer. "Do you realize what you've done?" he finally grumbled at the boy, shaking his head in disgust at the wasted opportunities and wondering just how far he would have to go to contain the damage. 


	22. Chap 22 An Empty Victory

Chapter 22 – An Empty Victory

Han allowed himself a small smile of satisfaction once the Falcon passed safely beyond the range of the battle station's tractor beam. That sense of accomplishment could not be celebrated for long, however, as a sensor panel suddenly came to life, beeping and flashing its warning of other ships detected in the area. A quick study of the readouts confirmed what Han already suspected.

"We're coming up on their sentry ships," he announced to Chewbacca as he narrowed his eyes more intently at the screen. _'Only four, not bad,'_ Han assessed, but even one of the speedy fighters was a threat to be taken seriously. At the rate they were closing…

"Hold 'em off. Angle the deflector shields while I charge up the main guns," he ordered sharply, already throwing the handful switches to activate the gun wells and twisting out of his pilot's chair to head for yet another familiar seat on his ship. 

He charged down the main corridor and skidded to a halt almost as an afterthought as he reached the entrance to the ship's main hold. "Come on, old man," he yelled at the Jedi's back. "We're not out of this yet."

Obi-Wan stiffened slightly at the summons, but otherwise kept his attention on the princess seated next to him on the couch. Belatedly, Han realized the man was holding the young woman's hands and leaning toward her in a fashion that suggested he had been tending to her in some way. The severity of his intrusion was made even more apparent by the harsh glare the previously fragile woman now had fixed on him. 

Dismissing her with a scowl, Han started to repeat his call to the Jedi, but the old man spoke first, directing to the princess a soft, but firm, "You go." 

Han thought he had surely misheard. Too stunned to talk, he leaned further into the hold, and tried to discern just what the old man had meant. 

The princess seemed to share in his confusion, with a look of uncertainty crossing her face as she returned her attention to Obi-Wan. Her lips began to form the question "What?" but again, the Jedi spoke up first.

"Captain Solo needs a steady hand and sharp eye to handle the ship's guns," Obi-Wan quietly explained. "Youth is better suited to this. My experience would serve best in the cockpit."

"But…" the Princess began to protest.

"Trust your instincts, Leia," Obi-Wan insisted, starting to slide out from behind the couch and guiding her to follow. "You can do this."

"Now wait just a minute!" Han objected, finally finding his voice again. He took two steps into the hold and met Obi-Wan face-to-face with a finger pointed right at the old man's nose. "This is still my ship, and there's no way I'm turning over a canon to some ditzy dame!"

"And three hours ago you weren't about to follow a crazy old man," Obi-Wan cut him off pointedly. "Appearances can be deceiving, Captain Solo."

Han started a retort to wipe that patronizing smile off the Jedi's face, but a howl from the cockpit warned that the attack was imminent. He had no time to press an argument he knew he had no chance of winning. The Princess had joined Obi-Wan in standing against him, and the challenging gleam flashing her eyes left little doubt that she was just as stubborn as the Jedi.

"I am qualified on laser cannons," she bit out. "And if someone doesn't man those guns soon, it won't matter a wit who this bucket belongs to."

"Great," Han shot back sourly, "just don't shoot my ship." He wheeled about before either of them could react and resumed his run to the gun turrets, shouting over his shoulder, "Chewie, keep those Imps up top."

Leia glared at the disappearing pilot and prepared to follow him, but was held back by a calming hand that lightly gripped her upper arm. 

"Clear your mind, Leia, and all will be well," Obi-Wan advised her with a serious look she found almost disturbing. Then he, too, turned away, releasing her arm and heading for the cockpit.

Leia shook off the whirlwind of confusion that still surrounded her, and hurried down the corridor the pilot had taken. She came to the steep and narrow wells that led to the guns, and looked up to find Captain Solo already settling in behind the controls of the dorsal cannon. That left the ventral cannon for her, and a curse-filled scramble down the ladder as she fought the fullness of her skirt the entire way to the lower deck.

The setup of the gun controls was familiar enough, thanks to the brief training the Alliance military had given her, but her claim of being qualified to operate the cannon had been a bit of an overstatement. She'd only fired a gun like that twice, in simulation, and that had been as a land-based installation. Shooting from a ship-mounted gun was sure to be quite different. 

Nothing was going to deter her, though, not when she finally had a chance to fight back. She slid into the chair, and quickly fastened the comm headset to her ear. Then her fingers found the right switches, and the screens before her came on-line just as Obi-Wan called out through the comm, "Here they come."

The first laser blasts rocked the ship, and two TIEs whizzed past Leia's gun turret, left unmolested by return fire as she reached for the triggers and spun her cannon around too late to catch them. Frustrated, Leia turned to the tracking screen and tried to trace the TIEs through the next pass, but the ship spun wildly as the pilot evaded their attack. She heard Solo's cannon pulsating away and felt the deflected impacts of more hits, but saw nothing to shoot at until it was again too late to react. The handful of shots she got off lagged miserably behind the racing TIEs.

"You awake down there?" Solo shouted harshly.

Leia didn't dignify the remark with a response, but tightened her jaw and focused more intensely on the screen. It was next to useless. The only clear information it showed was that the TIEs had formed up into two pairs, each turning back and swooping down upon the slower freighter in repeated strafing runs. Every time Leia thought she had a feel for where they were coming from, the ship would veer sharply, changing the perspective of their approach and leaving her out of position for the brief seconds the TIEs were in her line of sight. Perhaps the maneuvers were minimizing the damage to the ship's shields, but they were making it damn near impossible for Leia to line up a shot.

Solo didn't seem to be as affected by the disorienting spins and dives. At least he was firing nearly continuously, and harassing the TIEs enough to convince them that the underbelly of the freighter was the approach of choice. That gave Leia a target rich environment, and necessitated that she abandon her study of the tracking data. She, too, began firing continuously, pouring herself into a fierce laser exchange with the swarming TIEs. This time, she got close enough with her return fire to cause one to juke away from her side of the ship. It disappeared above the edge of the freighter's main engines, and then let off a fireball of light that expanded back into Leia's view.

"Ha!" Solo yelled out triumphantly, and Leia half noticed one blip disappearing from the tracking screen. 

She didn't contemplate the TIE's fate, however. It was still moving all too fast, and the start of rumblings from the forward end of the ship sent a prickling sensation up the back of her neck. She jerked her gun around in response and fired immediately, catching another strafing TIE square in the cockpit. 

Solo let out another whoop and called down, "Not bad, Princess."

Leia didn't acknowledge this either, though. Something was stirring in her, a half-remembered sensation from her race through the Death Star, something Arkus had awakened. That feeling was there again, a sense that she was seeing through another set of eyes into another world. It fed on her sense of pride for the destroyed TIE, and pushed out the gnawing doubts that plagued her still. For the first time in days, her determination felt solid again, and not like the chipped and frayed remains she'd been surviving on. She drank in the strength and pulled it into her core.

Again, Leia spun her cannon, just as a TIE looped back over to her side, and she sent the fighter veering off sharply with a barrage of laser fire. Watching the ship flee before her brought a thrill she'd never felt before, and the power within seemed to grow all the stronger for it. Now, she was into the rhythm of the swooping TIEs and twirling freighter, and knew on instinct where the remaining fighters were. She could even feel the weakening of the freighter's shields as the enemy lasers pounded repeatedly away at them from above. 

Two TIEs were gone, but it wasn't enough. An explosion from the interior of the ship brought that point home, and caused Leia's frustration to flare. She hadn't endured her imprisonment for nothing, and Arkus hadn't freed her to die out here in the emptiness. 

The TIEs split off from each other, and came at them again, one from starboard and one from port. Leia chose the one to port, and lined up her shot with a sneer, ready to take out the menace as soon as he was in range. Her fingers itched to pull the trigger as she tracked the approaching TIE through another sharp spin. One more breath and he was hers. 

The TIE opened up and Leia squared her shoulders to return fire…

"Not this way, Leia."

The authoritative voice snapped Leia back to herself, and caused her to miss the shot in confusion.

"Calm, Leia. Clear your emotions," Obi-Wan spoke to her again through the comm.

"What the…" Solo shouted. "Shut up, you crazy old fool!"

"Let it flow peacefully," Obi-Wan continued, unmindful of Solo's continued cursing.

Leia looked at the gun controls again, realizing now that she'd released them. Her hands felt hot, and her mind swam dizzyingly from the ebbing power that had filled her. What had she been doing?

"Relax, Leia."

"Relax this!" Solo shouted again, this time in conjunction with another spreading fireball and disappearing blip.

There was still one TIE out there. 

"Open yourself."

Leia reached for the triggers again, and searched the stars once more for the attack. It came from above, sending powerful blasts resonating through the freighter, and never dipped into her sights. Solo's gun pulsated loudly, tracking the departing TIE unsuccessfully.

The freighter rotated about as the TIE turned back on them, keeping the fighter up top as Solo had requested. Leia watched its approach on the tracking screen, but really saw nothing. She knew where it was from the progression of the impacts, and readied her gun to meet it should it peek over the edge of the freighter. The peculiar feeling from inside her returned again, but warm this time, instead of hot. She remembered Obi-Wan's strange advice, somehow felt his encouragement, and so hesitantly let it infuse her again. It guided her to adjust her position slightly as the freighter rocked again, then her fingers squeezed the trigger and the TIE was gone before it even cleared the edge of the ship.

"Ha, ha! That's it! We did it!" Solo screamed out, and Leia heard a similar roar issued from the Wookie at the helm. "Get us outta here, Chewie," the captain ordered next.

There was more commotion - an affirmative growl over the comlink, the sound of Solo sliding down the gun well and heading forward - but Leia lingered in her seat, staring in bewilderment at the last place the dissipating fireball had been visible. She **had** done it, lived it: impossible feats and sensations she couldn't begin comprehend over the last hour, and overwhelming emotions of fear, grief, and shock over the last few days. The memories pressed in on her now… now that she was free again. But at what price? 

Minutes later, she should have been elated by the sight of stretching starlines taking her safely into hyperspace and away from this place, but as she caught a final glimpse of the star that had been Alderaan's sun, all she felt was that half of her remained behind. 

***

Blackness spun cruelly around Arkus's fogged mind as the first glimmers of consciousness returned and faded again. Mere fragments of sensations approached in muted waves only to recede back to the distance, slipping away from his grasp before he could try to understand them. Even his own thoughts refused to form into something he could hold on to. The only sure constants were the darkness suspending him in reeling emptiness and a growing feeling of nausea that began tightening his throat until he could hold it back no longer.

Natural instinct rolled him to his right as he retched violently over the edge of some precipice, a set of motions altogether much too drastic for his broken body. Pain instantly exploded from every point along his left side, blocking out even the overpowering effects of his disorientation and yanking him harshly back from the blessed numbness.

Arkus gasped in shock as he futilely tried to curl around the injury, but this action brought only more pain and the panicking realization that he couldn't quite breathe. He gasped again, desperate for air; and it came, but cut off much too soon. A third gulping breath brought the dizziness and nausea back, and he retched uncontrollably again, heaving his empty stomach into repetitive spasms as louder screams of agony erupted throughout his body. 

He couldn't see, couldn't catch his breath or fix his concentration to reach out for the Force. He was completely helpless against this torture. Stars, was he in hell?

Though it seemed an eternity, it was actually mere seconds when a distant prick at the base of his neck brought flooding relief over his shuddering body and forced back the worst of the nausea. The dizziness remained, but the pain subsided and his muscles relaxed. After a short moment, he had a fraction of control again; enough to clamp his eyes tightly shut against the misery and fear until his shortened breaths could calm his racing heart. The onset of a cold sweat and weak trembles signaled the worst was over, and someone else seemed to share that assessment. 

Arkus's useless left arm was moved first. Then he was pushed onto his back again, methodically returned to the position in which he had started. He opened his eyes to faint slits when the same cold hands placed a respirator over his mouth and nose, giving him a steady flow of sweet oxygen. Greeted with only blackness at first, his vision began to clear slightly, or at least it brightened through a gradually widening tunnel. Everything was still blurry and tilting slowly to and fro, but he did manage to identify the bland, almost skeletal features of a droid hovering over him. 

__

'Med droid.' 

It was a simple and easy conclusion, but a solid start. Arkus locked onto it and used it to begin constructing an understanding of his situation as the droid went about its business, shooting additional needles into his right arm and probing the injuries along his left side. Concussion, broken ribs, collapsed lung, dislocated shoulder at minimum, internal injuries to be sure. Nothing that couldn't be patched, then healed with a series of bacta dips courtesy of the med facilities. 

But this was not the bright atmosphere of the med bay, a med bay he was already familiar with because of…

Arkus's right hand clenched tightly shut in reflexive response as the flash of memory quickly traced itself back to the origin of his current predicament.

__

~Leia!~ 

__

~**FOOL!**~

The rebuke slammed hard into Arkus's mind, brutally cutting off his rash telepathic reach and burning its way back through his unprotected thoughts before he could erect any barrier to slow the invasion. Fresh panic erupted as Arkus mentally scrambled to divert the probe, but he was too weak, caught off-guard with his freshly born interests laid plainly open, and the invader too powerful and determined in his search. All Arkus managed was a cringing retreat as the foreign presence sifted rapidly through his recent memories and emotions, passing its searing judgment on every demonstrated weakness that had lead to his betrayal until there could be no doubt left as to the motive driving Arkus's actions. Then it paused for excruciating seconds while Arkus lay quivering with his eyes tightly shut, dreading the coming consequences of his irrational devotion to a rebellious princess. 

But there was no final condemnation, no vicious sentence passed or deafening censure to drown out the sound of his pounding heart. Only considered silence, then a quiet withdrawal that left Arkus straining against the respirator with ragged breaths as the strangle hold on his mind was slowly released. 

Arkus's eyes snapped open again in suspicion of the unexpected reprieve, his wary instincts already searching for his lurking attacker. His vision was sharp now, enhanced by an influx of the Force called forth by his fear, but still there was little he could see. Above him were the bright lights of the med station preventing him from penetrating too far into the surrounding darkness. The room felt small, though, occupied primarily by this single portable med station and nothing else he could detect with the Force. He was alone in this private sanctuary, save for the droid… a specialized droid that continued to access the very best the Empire had to offer in medical diagnostic and life support equipment, all placed at its personal fingertips...

__

'Vader's quarters.'

__

~Yes,~ the now milder voice of his attacker confirmed, not so much to comfort as to provide a reminder of his vigilant presence. 

Arkus mentally flinched in response, realizing now that it was Vader guarding him, though apparently at some distance. There was nothing further in the way of aggression, only a sense of Vader patiently awaiting his next move, just as his father had always done. This time, though, Arkus had no biting remark or bitter retort on his tongue, but a desperate need for answers to questions he dare not voice. Still, he couldn't stop the concern from surfacing, and Vader gleaned the tentative inquiry before it was formed.

__

~She is away on that ship, as you arranged. They are safely past the sentries, and should be making the jump to hyperspace shortly.~

The words brought more relief than Arkus had ever known, releasing all the tension in his body and allowing him to sink into a comfortable surrender to the med droid. With Leia safe, he could face any punishment…

__

~Don't be so naïve,~ Vader sneered, setting Arkus's frayed nerves back on edge in an instant. _~Kenobi was attempting to deliver the Death Star plans to the Rebels when he was captured. I had already intended to let the ship's pilot escape with the plans to continue that mission.~_

The respirator suddenly forced a breath into Arkus, causing him to nearly gag as he tried bracing against the coming revelation. He willed the words not to come, to be able to deny it. It simply couldn't be…

~The ship is being tracked,~ Vader continued coldly. _~When they emerge at the next Rebel stronghold, Tarkin will be right on their heels, ready to use this battle station again.~_

__

'Nooo,' Arkus moaned weakly.

__

~She would have been yours once the base was destroyed, but now you have ensured her death.~

Arkus reeled at the harsh declaration. It was true; the Force resonated with Vader's words and with the image of another lush world disintegrating before a blast of green laser light. The void that remained threatened to swallow Arkus whole, plunging his spirit downward in a sickening spiral as the full impact of his failure dug its way through his heart. He was beyond numb, beyond the ability to do anything but simply exist.

And still Vader remained in his mind, cold and hard as durasteel, somehow stinging harder with his detached observation than the harshest attack he'd ever delivered. Arkus slumped away in defeat from even him, for once uncaring about what his father saw or thought as he sank into the depths of his misery. Slowly, Vader began backing away, finally leaving him with a soft rebuke, _~You should have trusted me.~_

__

'Trust?!' Arkus mentally lashed out at the advice. How bitter that word seemed when he was surrounded by nothing but despair.

He **had** trusted another, gone against his better judgment and followed its command. Where was that voice now? Why had it steered him so wrong? 

Had it all been for nothing?

__

'Nooo,' he moaned again as the treasured memory of Leia's warm eyes emerged. How could he have failed her? What else was he supposed to have done?

The droid came back into Arkus's unfocused view as it prepared yet another injection with little concern about how its actions might be received by his broken spirit. The hypo was set on his neck this time, and its contents quickly delivered to his bloodstream. The solution spread rapidly throughout his wrecked body, lulling his senses and stealing away his consciousness, slipping him back into the darkness where nothing was felt. 

Arkus welcomed it, desperately holding onto the image of Leia so that she wouldn't be lost to him. It was all he had left. 

__

~Heal.~ 

The word bubbled up as one last perceived command, an insistent call that skirted comprehension as Arkus succumbed to the drugs and fell into its will.

***

Vader stared out the wide viewport on the overbridge, looking to dissipate the tugging sensation of grief into the void before it re-opened a wound still raw, no matter how many years had passed, no matter how many events had tried to erase it from his mind. He couldn't allow himself to slip back into the weakness that now plagued his son. Not now, not ever. He'd come too far in overcoming it, and though he had worked to see that his son would not have to endure the same horrendous loss, the betrayal and hate sown by Palpatine had ensured it would be for Arkus just as it had been for him. 

The dark side didn't allow for love.

The ghosts of the past disappeared from Vader's thoughts as Tarkin slid up next to him, sharing the view of the now vacated area of space. 

"Are they away?" Tarkin asked, his voice laden with unease.

"They have just made the jump into hyperspace," Vader affirmed what Tarkin surely already knew.

"You're sure the homing beacon is secure aboard their ship?"

Vader didn't bother with a response, letting the silence express his growing impatience with the Grand Moff's questions. 

"And Obi-Wan?" Tarkin pressed, once again conveying his concern over the Jedi being allowed to live, and turning toward Vader to insist on an answer. 

Vader repressed his own anger at the actions that had brought about these circumstances, and forced himself to repeat the lie, never once looking toward Tarkin. "I told you, the ship is piloted by nothing more than smugglers. They would have wandered for months, looking for a place to sell the droids. With Obi-Wan and the Princess on-board, they will head directly for the Rebel base."

The frown that crossed Tarkin's face clearly showed his skepticism and near rejection of that explanation. Vader would have no more of it.

"The Jedi are the business of the Sith, Governor. I suggest you leave them to us."

Tarkin didn't balk at the near threat, but narrowed his eyes harder at Vader's profile. "I'm taking an awful risk, Vader. This had better work."

Vader did turn to look down at Tarkin at that, but the Governor had already returned his gaze to the viewport. _'Yes, this had better work,'_ Vader agreed, _'and for more than the salvation of your pointless career.'_


	23. Chap 23 A Certain Point of View

Author's note: (Peeks in shyly) Hello, anyone still out there? I know it's been forever since I've updated, but I am inspired once more, and granted a smidgen of free-time. The only catch is that ROTS has changed the starting point of this fic. I never intended to change the events of the prequels, and I still don't believe I need to. I just have to do some rethinking and a little editing of previous chapters. I'll be seeing to that shortly. In the meantime, you will likely notice some slight inconsistencies in the backstory. The main story remains as is. Please be patient…

Chapter 23 – A Certain Point of View

The Falcon was fine. Her hull, though battered and surely decorated with a fresh set of scars, was solidly intact. Most primary systems had escaped with little damage, and the few that had overloaded were covered by functioning back-ups. The shields were severely drained, to the point of failure in some places, but they were all recharging nicely now. The Falcon's extra armor and bypass circuitry, so carefully installed, had done their jobs perfectly, absorbing the blows that had gotten past the shields and routing the power surges through less essential equipment. The crucial hyperdrive was unscathed and operating normally.

So he had made it out of the noose again, with his hide and his ship in one piece.

Han continued staring at the engineering displays, amazed at the sheer magnitude of their success._ 'Ha! Take that, you space slugs!'_ he threw at the Empire, at Greedo, and everyone else who had ever tried to catch him. With the Falcon & Chewie at his side, there was nothing he couldn't do, no death trap he couldn't escape.

A frustrated howl from Chewbacca reached the engineering station, reminding Han of the struggle taking place in the corridor without, and of the passengers that had gotten him into this in the first place. Well, at least Kenobi had pulled his weight in the end. And Jedi or not, it was not luck that had brought down those stormtroopers so precisely, but a type of perfected skill Han had never seen before. It was almost enough for Han to forgive the ruse Obi-Wan had pulled, the simpleton act that had landed them all unexpectedly in the very jaws of the Empire. Almost, but not quite.

Springing back from the console with a new sense of invincibility, Han headed out into the corridor toward the cockpit, and quickly encountered the mess that had obstructed his path earlier: goldenrod, tangled in a panel of blown-out wires, and the astromech trying valiantly to free him. Only now that Chewbacca was joined in the effort, they'd actually gotten Threepio up, and his new umbilical to the Falcon severed. Chewie was working with the cut circuitry sticking out from the panel, pulling selected wires out of the mess to sort through them, while Artoo tugged at the stragglers still draped around Threepio. There was a narrow path around them, and Han headed directly for it.

Threepio spotted him first, interrupting his tirade at the little droid to call out with indignation, "Captain Solo, thank goodness. It's about time…" But this whining was quickly put down by an even louder complaint from Chewbacca.

Han held them all at bay with a reproachful frown as he stepped around the droids, and then set his sights directly upon Chewie. "Clean this up, will ya?" he shot point-blank, stunning the big Wookie long enough for him to squeeze past. The disgruntled growl that followed fell far short of its mark and only added to Han's cocky stride.

"Not a bad run, eh old man?"

Solo's voice broke the silence of the cockpit with all the grace of a drunken rancor, and might well have shattered Obi-Wan's concentration, had he not sensed the pilot's smug approach from halfway down the corridor. The interruption was not unwelcome, however, and Obi-Wan found himself smiling wistfully at the pilot's cocky attitude. Something in Solo's brash celebration was simply contagious. Something more interesting was the sudden sense of camaraderie that dwelled just below the surface, a genuine emotion Solo was sure to deny.

The navigation display still shone dully from the pilot's console, tugging at the concerns in Obi-Wan's mind, but he was finished with it for now. He cleared his thoughts of it and relaxed back into pilot's chair, finally turning to greet Solo as he made his way forward. If Solo was at all put out by Obi-Wan occupying his seat, he showed no sign of it, but instead settled into the copilot's chair with a satisfied smirk playing across his face.

"I told you I could handle any of your 'Imperial entanglements,'" he continued bragging.

"That you did, Captain Solo," Obi-Wan answered, granting him a small nod of acknowledgement. "Your courage and combat skills are to be commended. Such qualities could be put to good use, should you ever choose to change careers."

Solo just stared for a moment, stunned, it seemed, by tactics he had failed to anticipate, his expression melting away uncertainly before Obi-Wan's upraised eyebrows. That Solo fully deserved what he received only made the episode all the more amusing, though this time there was some well-intentioned truth behind the jab. Obi-Wan kept his own gaze steady out of respect for that truth, pushing the point until suspicion flashed into Solo's eyes. The expected dismissal was less than a heartbeat behind.

"Yeah, whatever, old man," he scoffed, brushing it all off with a single shake of his head. "Look, I'm not interested in joining any of your crazy crusades, so spare me the recruitment speech. And just so you know, you owe me extra for all this trouble, and the damage to my ship."

"Naturally, Captain," Obi-Wan readily agreed. "You will be paid whatever sum you require… once we've reached our destination."

Again the prodding had the expected reaction, eliciting the sour snort and confident posturing that seemed an essential part of Solo's negotiating. "Now how did I know you were going to say that?" he answered dryly.

Obi-Wan shrugged innocently. "I assure you, Captain, I desire nothing more than to find a safe port. Take us that far, and your role in this will be over."

"Uh-huh."

Sarcasm dripped from the word, fueled more than enough by the adventures Obi-Wan had already dragged him through. But all the hardline bargaining in the galaxy wouldn't make the situation any better, and Solo knew it. He cast one final withering look that guaranteed the subject of pay would be revisited, then grudgingly accepted the deal with a nod toward the navigation display. "So where're we going, anyway?"

"Nowhere, at the moment," Obi-Wan admitted openly. "This is just an emergency jump. It will time out in less than an hour, and leave us in open space. About here." Obi-Wan turned to point at the screen, and made room for Solo as he, too, leaned in close for a look. "Near the Altos system."

"Is there a reason I can't just lose you there?"

Obi-Wan smiled. "The system is uninhabited, and rather hostile to human life forms." With a few manipulations of the display, he brought up the catalog of planets and moons that made up the system, only two of which had any kind of atmosphere, both of thick acid clouds. "I'm afraid you'll have to keep us around a little while longer."

Solo studied a screen for a moment, and huffed as he reached the same conclusion. "Convenient, huh?" he said, shooting Obi-Wan a sardonic look. "What's next, then?"

Solo turned expectantly back to the navigation screen, but Obi-Wan sank back against his chair again. He'd been through those displays several times already, and still he had no answer. Sighing, he said, "That depends a great deal on what Princess Leia has to tell us."

"That girl you risked our skins over?"

Obi-Wan shifted his gaze sharply to Solo's, and saw not the anticipated irritation, but surprise and mild interest. Stunned there was no tirade to head off this time, he overlooked Solo's misinterpretation of events, and simply nodded.

"She wasn't half-bad on the canon," Solo said appreciatively, as he also settled back into his chair. He crossed his arms nonchalantly. "Who is she, anyway?"

"She's the owner of those droids, and the one who entrusted me to see them to Alderaan," Obi-Wan explained, watching Solo curiously. "This is her mission, and her people who will be paying you."

For the first time, Solo seemed to put it all together: just who he was transporting, how valuable those treasured droids of an old man might be, what role he had just played in liberating a person of apparent great importance. His mouth hung slightly agape with unformed questions as he took it all in, and Obi-Wan could almost hear the calculations spinning up in his head. But there could be no continuation of this particular conversation; the sound of light footsteps coming up the corridor brought it to an end even Solo could understand, and surprisingly respect. His eyes fell away as if to glance at the screens on his console, but his brow remained furrowed in uncharacteristic thought.

Obi-Wan waited a moment, then asked in a voice loud enough to carry, "I take it your ship will not be needing any immediate repairs?"

"Huh?" Solo spun back around, and stared blankly at Obi-Wan before catching on. "Ah, no. It takes more than a little firefight to knock the Falcon out. Chewie'll have her back in shape in no time. She'll do what she needs to."

"So we're away, then?"

Leia appeared in the back of the cockpit right on cue, her soft, insistent voice drawing the attention of both of them as she walked up to stand behind them. Whatever hellish nightmare had possessed her before, she had it fully under control now. Not a trace of it slipped through to crease her smooth brow or dull those sharp eyes of hers. She was absolutely beautiful, dressed in that opulent gown, standing there with all the grace and authority she'd earned in Alderaan's court. Solo saw it, too, but kept his thoughts well hidden behind that Sabaac stare of his, just watching as Leia's gaze slid casually over him to settle expectantly on Obi-Wan.

"Yes, for the moment," Obi-Wan answered her with a warm flash of a smile. "Captain Solo and I were just discussing what course to set. We'll need to jump again as soon as possible."

"You think we're being tracked?" So sharp, Leia didn't miss a step. But her conclusion held more surprise than alarm, and Obi-Wan could feel her reluctance to believe it.

"Nobody tracks this ship, Princess," Solo chimed in with a wry chuckle, but his cocky manner only made Leia glare at him in annoyance. If he had meant to impress her, he'd failed miserably.

"Speed has nothing to do with it, Captain," Obi-Wan admonished lightly. "There are many ways to track a ship, and the Empire had control of this one long enough to employ any number of them. Minimal guards in the bay, only four sentries to intercept us…" He focused on Leia meaningfully. "They let us go, it's the only explanation for the ease of our escape."

"Easy! You call that easy?" Solo burst in again.

It was enough to put a wrinkle on Leia's brow, and to give her a false window of hope. Obi-Wan could afford none of it. "Darth Vader knew I was there," he said to her, more earnestly than before. "He had to know the droids were with me. Would he let them slip through his fingers so easily?" Shades of doubt crept into Leia's eyes, but still something made her resist. "Leia, what data is Artoo carrying?" he pressed, and finally he could see her accept the obvious.

With a sigh of resignation, she sank into the navigation chair and answered dolefully, "The technical readouts of that battle station."

Obi-Wan nodded his understanding as Solo's eyes widened in surprise. Yes, of course it would be something of great value, something that would dictate where they had to go and make Vader think it worth the risk. Obi-Wan could already see the strain of their only choice settling in Leia's eyes. "Your Highness, the Alliance needs that data as quickly as possible," he said to reinforce her, "before the Empire uses that weapon again. It would bring no good to go anywhere but directly to them."

"Wait a minute. You're not planning on actually going up against that thing?" Han asked, looking back and forth between them incredulously. Their silence gave him his answer. "You're crazier than I thought."

Leia rounded on him in an instant. "And what would you have us do, Captain?" she demanded bitterly. "Cower away and hide while they carry out their atrocities against more innocent worlds? Someone has to stand up against them, or are you suddenly losing your courage?"

"Don't get all righteous on me, Your Worshipfulness," Solo shot back defensively. "You want get yourself killed, I've got no problem with that, but I want no part of it." He turned back to Obi-Wan. "And I have no interest in knowing where any hidden base is, either. So you just pick a nice quiet place for us to drop you, far away from this Rebellion of yours."

"You will take us to the base if you care to get paid," Obi-Wan answered matter-of-factly. "We have no other place to go and only the Alliance will give you money for delivering those droids. Anyone else will reward you with imprisonment and torture, or sell you out when questioned themselves. The Empire won't believe you were a hapless fool in this until you are dead."

Solo tensed at the provocation, but it was Leia who snapped first. "Why, you're nothing more than a mercenary!" she exclaimed with a mixture of shock and revulsion.

"I'm a businessman!" Han shouted indignantly, suddenly shifting around in his chair to confront her fully. "And not one that's about to put up with any lip from you, princess!"

The two locked on each other with a mutually deadly glare, neither willing to capitulate as they battled through their frustrations. Obi-Wan held up a restraining hand to both of them. "This bickering will get us nowhere," he said calmly. "Captain, will you take us to the Alliance, or not?"

A grudging withdrawal squared Han's shoulders as he pointedly directed his response to Obi-Wan. "I've done more than I should've already, and you know it, old man," he said seriously. "You want to up the stakes again? Fine. But I expect to be paid for it. Well-paid. And I mean before you get yourselves blasted to bits like Alderaan."

Obi-Wan winced at the cruel words, though he sensed they were said out of oblivious self-interest rather than any intent to hurt Leia. It made little difference to her. With a startling rustle of silk and velvet, she was suddenly standing again, utterly appalled as she sent one final wrathful glare raining down upon Han. "Yavin IV, Captain," she bit out curtly, "and you shall have your reward." Then with a crisp turn, she marched out of the cockpit in a rush of barely contained pain and anger.

The vacuum that followed drained the last of Obi-Wan's energy, so he had little patience when Han turned a bewildered look at him. "Alderaan was her home, Captain," he explained flatly, "and her stay on that station likely included having to watch its destruction. You might want to consider softening your tongue a little."

Something resembling regret flashed through Han's eyes, but he was spared having to acknowledge it by a tone sounding from the navigation station. The hyperspace jump was timing out. "Yavin IV, then," he muttered somberly, then set about fixing the new coordinates with determined indifference.

Obi-Wan sighed to clear away the lingering emotions, then got up from console to leave the pilot to his task.

The back of the ship was quiet, isolated from the chattering droids and Chewbacca's sulking repairs by both distance and a low, steady hum emanating from the engines. It was here that the crew quarters were located. Just a small, triangular room off the main corridor, with a bunk built into each of the three walls. It offered little in the way of amenities, but was nevertheless the perfect refuge for Leia. She'd needed the time alone to work through her anger and frustration, and settle the underlying stress. It was exhaustion that Obi-Wan sensed from her now, and as he approached, he was not surprised to find her sitting on the edge of the nearest bunk, with her elbows on her knees and her fingers pressed against her forehead, as though pushing back a headache. Obi-Wan hesitated at the entrance, ready to clear his throat to announce his presence, but she already knew he was there.

"Forgive me General Kenobi," she said without looking up, "how did you come to be in such company?"

Obi-Wan smiled at the exasperation in her voice, unable to blame her, but his reasons for hiring these two had proven solid. "Captain Solo has more virtues than it seems," he defended patiently. "He has no love for the Empire, to be sure, nor does Chewbacca; and they won't betray or abandon us, despite Solo's blustering. That is why I hired him," he explained, tilting his head slightly to try to make eye contact, "and you've seen him prove his skills as a pilot and gunner, as well. It's only his idealism that has suffered from witnessing too much reality. Try not to judge him so harshly."

Leia sighed and dropped one hand as she glanced up at him wearily with a look of doubtful acceptance. But Solo was hardly the problem bothering her.

"I thought you might like something to eat," Obi-Wan offered, holding up the three ration bars he'd managed to dig up earlier. Her eyes slid listlessly to the pathetic meal. "It's not much," he apologized, "but trust me, you don't want to see the stew."

This at least elicited a huff of amusement from Leia, and the first sign of a genuine grin. She sat up straight and bade him enter to sit next to her, accepting the cup of water he had also brought, but waving off the food. Obi-Wan set the ration bars on the bunk to the side as he sat down; then waited patiently as Leia sipped thoughtfully at the water. Her hands slowly drifted down to her lap, but she kept the cup grasped firmly between them, clinging to it for support.

"What is all this?" she finally asked, looking to Obi-Wan. "I mean these feelings, like those sensations I had in the gun turret. How could I know where to shoot when I couldn't see the ships?"

"It's the Force, Leia. You're learning to use it."

"But how can that be? I'm not a Jedi," she protested. "I don't have that power."

Obi-Wan smiled kindly, trying to soften the coming blows. "No, Leia, you're wrong. You do have that power. You were born with it, and Bail Organa went to great lengths to protect you from those who would destroy you for it."

The pain in Leia's eyes was evident as she struggled to understand what he was telling her. Confusion, rejection, denial…

"You know you were adopted, Leia," Obi-Wan continued gently. "What do you know of your life before that?"

Leia blinked at the question, and then breathed in deeply, her gaze dropping away as she stepped through the door he had opened. "I know my mother died when I was very young," she began slowly. "I used to have a holograph of her. She was very beautiful. Looking at it, I could almost remember her. She was gentle and kind, but… sad." Her voice drifted off, lost for a moment, until other, happier memories came to her. "But I have always thought of the Organas as my family," she said determinedly. "My father was so kind and loving to me. He never treated me as anything but his daughter."

"As I knew he would," Obi-Wan affirmed. "Bail was a magnificent man, Leia, and the galaxy suffers greatly for his loss."

Leia smiled weakly at his kind words, and Obi-Wan gave her a moment to cherish her adopted father's memory. She'd had little time to grieve, he knew, and no time to come to terms with the tragedy that had befallen her people. Such cruel times…

"The Jedi purges were a horrible, desperate time, Leia," Obi-Wan began again, hoping she'd find comfort in the history that had defined Bail's character. "The remnants of the Order was scattered across the galaxy and left defenseless against annihilation. Not even the Jedi children were spared. I brought you to Bail when your mother could no longer care for you, when the Jedi could no longer provide shelter. He took you in without hesitation, knowing full well that you were a Jedi child, and understanding the risks. You were claimed as an orphan of the Clone Wars, and proudly adopted into Alderaan's royal house as a call for all the galaxy to open their doors and hearts to those ravaged by war.

"That was true enough, you see," he explained carefully, "and not even Palpatine would dare to challenge Bail openly. The strength and influence of Alderaan's house afforded you more protection than I ever could."

Leia frowned thoughtfully as he concluded, not quite ready to fully accept everything she had been told. As well she might hesitate at such a disclosure. There would be more questions to be answered and more disturbing histories to be revealed. More tragedies for Obi-Wan to explain...

_Which one is safe? _

The question came back to his mind as clear and compelling as the day it had been asked. A field of stars before them. A hopeless plea from a little boy aged far beyond his years. How badly it had stung to not have an answer.

Desperate times indeed.

But for the all anguish that failure had given him, Obi-Wan had always taken comfort in Leia's safety. She'd had a life, sheltered from the evil that had touched her family, and free to fight for the liberties her mother had so cherished. But now…

"But now the Empire has destroyed even that last safehaven," Obi-Wan said distantly, the sorrow in his voice drawing Leia close again. He looked intently into her eyes. "And it seems your heritage is finally catching up with you."

"You want me to become a Jedi."

She didn't ask, she knew, and already she was bracing for the answer. Such calm courage in the face of all this turmoil; Obi-Wan could hardly ask for more. He nodded solemnly. "I think you must."

And there it was done. A lifetime of burdens laid before the most innocent, the most trusting, and all she met it with was another tired sigh. Then she looked away, unable to hold his gaze, and her hands tightened again on the cup in her lap. Obi-Wan thought to reach for her, to give her what fortification he could, but in the next breath she was up, abandoning the cup on the bunk behind her and pacing across to the other side of the quarters. She stood there with her back towards him, slowly wringing her hands together in tight knots as silence stretched between them.

"How long have you been getting these feelings?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Ever since Arkus," she responded, half-turning back toward him. "I started feeling strange soon after I met him. Then on the Death Star, he did something. He… opened something in my mind. It was as if I could feel the whole galaxy."

"Arkus?" Obi-Wan asked earnestly. "The man who brought you to me?"

"Yes, Darth Arkus." She nodded. "He's another Sith. One we didn't know about until-"

Obi-Wan didn't hear the rest of her answer. His attention drifted too quickly away with the implications of her story, and by the time he realized she'd stopped, it was much too late to mask his contemplation. He looked up to find her staring hard at him, her eyes piercing and perceptive.

"You know him, don't you?" she asked.

"I knew him, yes," Obi-Wan admitted slowly. "But as Luke, and when he was just a boy. He was a Jedi child, like yourself. The son of Anakin Skywalker, my old apprentice."

The name sparked only faint recognition in Leia, and none of the alarm that would have come with full comprehension. Instead there was sorrow, a growing sense of loss, though now it was shifted more toward Obi-Wan and away from her own dangerous connection. It softened her expression and tempered her need for more information with a mixture of respectful patience as she silently encouraged him to continue. Obi-Wan smiled grimly at the gesture of sympathy, then reluctantly opened another door to the past.

"I took Luke in when his father was lost at the end of the Clone Wars. I'd hoped to find a home for him, and train him was the time was right, but the Empire proved too resourceful in their hunt. They caught up with us on Ennolay." Obi-Wan paused at the twinge of regret that still came with the memory, and allowed it to wash over him, searching for a new understanding.

_Ben, help!_

But there was only terror. Then silence.

"I don't know what happened," he admitted to Leia, to himself. "I thought Luke had been killed until I saw him on that station." He sighed sadly as he pushed the memory away again - _Ben!_ - letting it go. "It would have been better for all he had been."

"He's not evil." Leia asserted suddenly, too forcefully for Obi-Wan's comfort. It snapped him back with a jolt.

"I saw nothing but darkness there, Leia," he warned. "I searched, and found nothing but hate."

"No, there is more," she insisted. "I've felt it. He's not the same as Vader. He saved me!"

"He let you go, yes," Obi-Wan allowed carefully, "but the Sith have their own dark purposes for everything they do. Tell me, Leia, how do you feel now? Would you go to him if he called?"

She paused at the question. "I… I don't know," she stammered, her brow knitting up in troubling thought. "I feel drawn to him somehow... And he to me, I'm sure of it."

"It is the potential within you he's drawn to, Leia. You had to have felt the power in him, how cold and dark it was. You sought to use it yourself in the gun turret. It is the power of the dark side. He showed it to you, and poisoned you with it. He would corrupt you completely if you gave him a chance, and then you would be just like him. There is no allowance of good in the dark side, Leia. Trust me. I've seen that myself."

"But he fought Darth Vader so we could escape. He sacrificed himself…"

Obi-Wan sighed worriedly at the plea in her voice. This attachment she had, it went beyond reason. It made no sense. No more than the fleeting feelings she had accurately attributed to her mother. But it was just as real. And infinitely more dangerous.

"I do not understand what purpose he served, Leia," Obi-Wan argued, trying a new tactic, using all his powers of persuasion. "There are three Sith now, and with three there are competing ambitions, infighting and ruin. Such is the nature of the dark side. That Palpatine allows two apprentices to exist troubles me deeply. It makes no strategic sense unless he intends for Arkus to take Vader's place. What role we played in that, I cannot see. But there is growing chaos in their ranks, that I am sure of. We can either use it to our advantage, or be sucked into it and destroyed."

The larger reality hit her hard, silencing her protests. She looked so worn suddenly, with the weight of what had to be done settling slowly on her shoulders.

"It can't be won without you, Leia. You must become a Jedi."

"I know, I know," she accepted with a weary nod. "I just wish… I wish I understood."

Obi-Wan nodded back with compassion. "Perhaps in time, you will. But you mustn't hesitate, Leia. Doubt is a weapon of the dark side."


	24. Chap 24 Battle Plans

Chapter 24 – Battle Plans

The gas giant Yavin dominated the cockpit view the moment the Falcon reverted to real-space. A placid planet by outward appearance, she kept her secrets cloaked under a heavy drape of baleful orange atmosphere, and masked the storms that raged beneath with a gentle brushing of pale yellow clouds. Three large moons and several smaller satellites hung in peaceful attendance to her deadly beauty. A fourth sizeable moon, the one in question, lay tucked behind her, hidden from view. Han wasn't taking any chances.

"Get that signal ready, Chewie," he ordered as he initiated a full scan of the system. "I don't know how trigger happy these guys are gunna be."

Chewbacca softly howled a concerned reply, and both pilot and co-pilot fell into a grim vigilance as they waited for their new hosts to show themselves. But no threat appeared to solidify their worries, and Han's scan for ships and technology was still reading all negative when Leia and Obi-Wan came forward to join them.

"Well, here we are," Han greeted them dryly. "System looks deserted. You sure you got the right place?"

Leia looked down on him sourly. "Just transmit the signal I gave you as soon as Yavin IV is in range."

"Absolutely, your worshipfulness." Han shook his head and turned back to his controls. "This is your show."

Leia's cold stare lingered for a moment, but instead of replying she reached for a headset and settled quietly into the communication's chair, apparently unwilling to rise to his bait. Just as well. Han was already more interested in the course ahead, still wary of stumbling into an ambush. He was in no mood for dealing with passengers now, and took little notice of Obi-Wan sitting down behind him. Yavin, looming ever larger before them, occupied all his attention, but still the Falcon's scanners kept quiet. Quiet through the gentle slope Han plotted around planet, quiet long after he was certain passive scans should have detected their approach. The emerald gem of a moon dubbed Yavin IV began rising ahead, and still nobody blinked. Either the system was truly deserted, or these Rebels were very cool customers indeed.

"Here goes nothing," Han said to Chewie as they began broadcasting Leia's hailing signal. The response took longer than Han thought it should have, but eventually the dead air over the com was replaced with crackling static followed by a stiff military voice.

"Transmission received. Requesting verbal confirmation."

"Avian coming to nest," Leia replied.

Han glanced back in amused disbelief at the hokey jargon, but Leia just ignored him. A moment later, the com crackled again.

"You are cleared for approach. Sending vectors now."

The Falcon's scanner readouts did light up briefly then, and Han turned back to see a full set of approach coordinates loaded into the automatic pilot. "Playing dead, huh?" he muttered to his unseen benefactor. "Nice."

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The hanger was impressive, Han had to give the Rebels that. Respectable for the amount and quality of hardware they'd managed to smuggle in to build it, and ingenious for the way they'd carved it out of an existing, primitive structure. From even low altitudes it had appeared to be just another ancient monument belonging to whatever ruined civilization that had once dwelled here. The sheer size and odd pyramidal design might attract the interest of the odd archeologist, but the jungle had so encompassed and covered it, almost to its lofty crest, that the more practical minded would considered it of no further use.

Han saw another picture now. Armed with the knowledge of the temple's true nature, he was able to appreciate how well the jungle shielded it from broad-range scans. The thick stone of the temple would easily block whatever dispersed and weakened signal that made it through. It would take a directed scan to unveil the secret within, and more than a passing interest to locate the tight clearing and small landing platform at the temple's base. The chances of it simply being stumbled over were so remote as to be nonexistent. The Empire would have to already suspect the Rebels were here in order to find them.

Which, according Obi-Wan, they now did.

Han glanced back across crowded bay, assessing the efficient two-man ground crew tending to one of the fighters with military-grade maintenance and refurbishment equipment. The whole hanger was staffed and outfitted similarly, with stockpiles of ordinance lining the walls at strategic locations and thirty some starships aligned neatly nose to tail so that not a square meter of space was wasted. X and Y-wings, Han saw, fighters and bombers, well maintained and ready to go. An excellent hit-run-force. But unless the Rebels had something more substantial hidden on the lower decks, they weren't going to last long against that battle station.

The personnel transport Han was riding on slowed, and he looked forward, past Obi-Wan and Leia sitting next to him, to see they were approaching the command center at the back of the bay. A distinguished older man in a crisp uniform was waiting for them, seeming anxious, and not at all interested in the first transport carrying Chewbacca and droids. Leia jumped off from the second before it stopped, and rushed up to meet him with an embrace.

The man returned her hug as if she were his daughter. "You're safe," he said with unconcealed emotion. "When we heard about Alderaan, we feared the worst." He pulled back and held her at arms length. "I'm sorry about your father."

"Thank you, commander Willard," Leia answered, nodding. Then she turned and gestured back toward Obi-Wan and Han getting off the transport. "You remember General Kenobi?"

Obi-Wan stepped up as Willard gazed at him in amazement. Han hung back and moved over to join Chewbacca and the droids so as not to disturb the reunion.

"My stars, is it possible?" Willard was saying. "I thought all the Jedi were lost." He grabbed Obi-Wan's hand and shook it vigorously. "It's a blessing to see you survived."

"And it's good to see you again, Commander," Obi-Wan replied warmly. "But we've no time for pleasantries now. I fear we've been tracked from Alderaan by that battle station."

The smile dropped from Willard face. "How much time do we have?"

Obi-Wan was quick with an answer. "Less than a day. Perhaps ten hours."

Han tightened his lips into an irritated line, annoyed that Obi-Wan had gotten it right and somewhat bothered by being so quickly brushed to the background. But then this wasn't his fight.

Willard had begun rubbing his chin worriedly. "We've been on high alert since Alderaan," he said thoughtfully. "All capital ships have been ordered to disperse. I doubt any could reach us in time for an evacuation."

"No commander, we can't risk any more lives," Leia said. "You must use the information stored in my R2 unit to plan an attack."

Artoo beeped and rolled up next her dutifully. Willard looked down at him skeptically, and then back up to Obi-Wan.

"General Kenobi?"

Obi-Wan shook his head. "Bringing more ships in won't make a difference."

"Very well," Willard said with a curt nod and sigh. He turned to one of the men standing at attention behind him. "Lieutenant, take this R2 unit to the central tactical computer and start the analysis."

"Yes sir," the lieutenant answered. He moved to the side and gestured for Artoo to follow him.

"And initiate the active system scans," Willard added. "Secrecy will be of no use now. We need to know as soon as that station arrives."

"Yes sir."

"Oh my!" Threepio chattered worriedly. "Artoo, I think I had better come with you." He stepped forward to set of somber looks and began shuffling after Artoo and the lieutenant, oblivious of the conversation he had interrupted. Han snorted and shook his head, glad be rid of the droid.

"And you, Captain," Willard said to Han, suddenly seeming to notice him. "What are the capabilities of your ship?"

"Uh…" Han stammered.

Leia cut him off. "He's just hired transport, Commander," she explained. "He's done his duty. He'll be looking to get paid."

"I see," Willard said, looking slightly disappointed, but he quickly shifted to business. "You may wait in the pilot's ready room. Someone will be with you."

Han followed Willard's vague gesture off to his left, but could see nothing through the maze of fighter wings. When he looked back, Willard was already guiding Obi-Wan and Leia toward the command center ahead of them.

"Yeah, thanks," Han called after them, watching as they disappeared behind a door.

Chewbacca let out a soft whine, and Han shot a glare at him over his shoulder. "Come on, Chewie," he said, and started walking in the direction Willard had indicated. "Let's get this over with."

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Artoo was quickly handed off to a technician, who took him directly to a large computer bank. It was a small area with barely room for the two humanoid-interface terminals. Threepio was directed away, while Artoo was led to the input panel and plugged in.

"Input data size and type for analysis," the computer demanded, all stiff and business.

Artoo responded in kind and received a time estimate and a command to initiate download. "That's too long," he said.

"Improper input. Reformat data and initiate download," the computer spat back blandly.

"Accelerate analysis process," Artoo insisted, but the computer only blinked impatiently and repeated its demand. There would be no working with this rigid block of diodes. Artoo spun his doom and observed the operator bent over his terminal, busily typing commands. He couldn't communicate with the human either, not without Threepio. But he could control the data flow.

He started with the overview files, focusing on shielding and armaments. They were too much for the Rebel craft to overcome in a direct assault, he knew, but he'd seen miracles worked with single-man fighters before. Then he had an idea. In matter of microseconds, Artoo shuffled through the data files he'd been carrying, and reorganized them to prioritize the only battleship system he knew to be vulnerable to small fighters. The very heart of every beast – the main reactor. All they had to do was figure out how to get at it.

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"Where is Darth Arkus? Shouldn't he be here for this?"

Tarkin's tone was sharp, clearly showing his dislike of Arkus and of the secrecy Vader maintained around him. Apparently the time in hyperspace had done little to quell his suspicions.

"He is indisposed with a task I have set for him," Vader rumbled in reply. "His presence is not required." _'And I assure you, you would not welcome it,'_ he thought but didn't add.

Tarkin intensified his cold stare from his place at the head of his conference table, but Vader paid it no mind as he steadily made his way into the room. The Governor was standing stiff and impatient, his hands pressed hard against the surface of the table. For instant, his gaze dropped to the second lightsaber dangling from Vader's belt, then slid back up with measuring interest.

"Patrols have been dispatched," he ventured. "We will soon know if this is the correct system."

Vader nodded his acknowledgement and rested his hands on the back of one of the chairs as he turned to face Tarkin stoically. This drew a frown and a tightened jaw, but Tarkin did not press the issue, choosing instead to shift his attention to a report on the table. When the com panel buzzed, he punched it harshly. "Yes?" he demanded.

"We are approaching the planet Yavin," a voice replied. "The Rebel base is on a moon on the far side. We are preparing to orbit plant." The com fell silent, and Tarkin turned a thoughtful look toward Vader.

"You see, Governor," Vader said, biting at the end of every word to relieve his strained patience. "You have nothing to worry about."

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The ready room had filled quickly with pilots, who immediately took over the two rows of benches as they set about donning bright orange flight suits. They were divided into two squadrons, best Han could tell from the markings on their lockers. Most of the older pilots were in Gold Squadron - likely the bombers - and a group of hotshot kids made up most of Red. The young ones were talking in a steady stream of nervous mummers mixed with bursts of naïve bravado. Han did his best to ignore them, realizing grimly that they would likely all be dead by day's end.

No, Han much preferred to stay in the little conference area at the back of the room, where the older pilots had their lockers. These were seasoned men with a somber air about them as they silently prepared for battle. They had been there when he and the general's representative had finalized his deal, and they knew that he was just hanging around, waiting for the delivery of his payment. As such, they were content to leave him alone.

Another round of excited mumblings passed around the front of the room, of which Han caught one unmistakable word: "Jedi." The older pilots looked up at this, apparently unable to resist the conversation as they listened in with some interested thoughts of their own.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi," one said, shaking his head as he worked the last buckle on his boot. "After all this time. Can you believe it?"

"Yeah," another said with an appreciative huff from the bench. He looked suddenly at Han. "Hey, why couldn't you've dug up Anakin Skywalker while you were at it? Then we might stand a chance against this thing. Hell, it'd be just like the Clone Wars."

Han responded with a detached, steady stare as a third pilot standing further back scoffed. "Hey, don't you guys remember? They lost that war."

"That's enough," Gold Leader broke in sternly, slamming his locker and turning to face his squadron. "We got our own fight. Stay focused on that."

As if on cue, two lights mounted near the ceiling at either end of the room lit up, silencing the pilots. Gold Leader nodded and made a final adjustment to his cuff. "The briefing's starting. Let's get going."

The sound of locker doors slamming erupted throughout the room as the pilots started filing out. Han watched the one who had spoken to him grab up his helmet and turn away, reflecting that he hadn't any idea what the man had been talking about.

Should we go with them? Chewbacca howled out softly.

"Yeah, why not. Beats sitting around here anyway," Han answered, refusing to admit he was actually curious to see what Kenobi and his friends had come up with. He moved slowly to push himself away from the table he'd been sitting at, and waited until the last of Gold squadron had left the room before trailing after them.

They made the short trek along the back of the hanger in a solemn procession, past ground crews already busy loading ordinance and prepping the fighters for flight with an assortment of hoses and electrical umbilicals. The place no longer felt neat and sterile, but was filled with the tension of coming battle. Not a moment was spared to take notice of the pilots crowding toward a room off the main bay. Han was among the last to arrive and found the small room to be already filled beyond capacity. Several rows of orange occupied the seats and lined the walls, dotted sporadically with older men dressed in more formal uniforms much the same as Willard, and a few representatives of the ground crew wearing worn coveralls.

Leia stood in stark contrast to them, still in that fancy dress of hers and looking as serious and determined as ever as she spoke at the head of the room with two men whose more formal dressing marked them as the rebel leadership. Obi-Wan was there as well, but was off to the side, conversing with Red and Gold Leader as they waited for the general to begin. Han found a spot off to one side of the entrance that afforded him and Chewbacca a clear view of the display screen, and propped himself lazily against the thick stone wall.

Leia moved suddenly to join Obi-Wan, and the bearded man she had been talking to picked up a presentation rod and cleared his throat. General Dodonna, Han realized, fixing the name he'd heard to a face. The room immediately fell silent.

"As you know," Dodonna began, "the Imperial Death Star responsible for the destruction of Alderaan has entered our system. We have little more than an hour before it will clear the planet. Our only hope for survival is to engage and destroy it before it is able to fire upon us. This meeting will be brief."

He paused to let this point settle in, then turned and took a few steps to the side, tapping his presentation rod once into the palm of his other hand. The display screen behind him came to life with an expanding outline of the Death Star highlighted with only the essential details. Every pair of eyes locked intensely on the screen, and Dodonna continued evenly, as though instructing a group of students rather than giving a briefing of unparalleled importance.

"The battle station is heavily shielded and carries a firepower greater than half the star fleet. Its defenses are designed around a direct large-scale assault. A small one-man fighter should be able to penetrate the outer defenses."

_'And what's that gunna buy you?'_ Han balked silently, waving off Chewbacca's interested glanced at him. Not even the Falcon could put a dent in that station.

Several of the Rebel pilots seemed restless at this thought as well, and Gold Leader spoke up, his tone more controlled than Han could have managed. "Pardon me for asking, sir, but what good are snub fighters going to be against _that_?"

"Well," Dodonna answered patiently, "the Empire doesn't consider a small one-man fighter to be any threat, or they'd have a tighter defense. An analysis of the plans provided by Princess Leia has demonstrated a weakness in the battle station." He tapped his presentation rod again, and the display zoomed into a small sector of the station with a more detailed schematic and a running flight path over the surface. The information sped by quickly, too fast for the pilots to fully absorb, but the astromechs crowding the back of room were surely recording every second.

"The approach will not be easy," Dodonna warned, pointing to the screen. "You are required to maneuver straight down this trench and skim the surface to this point." The display froze and highlighted what appeared to be one of a series of vents. "The target area is only two meters wide. It's a small thermal exhaust port, right below the main port. The shaft leads directly to the reactor system. A precise hit will start a chain reaction, which should destroy the station. Only a precise hit," he emphasized," will set up a chain reaction." He cast a steadying gaze across the pilots in the front before adding almost off-hand, "The shaft is ray shielded, so you'll have to use proton torpedoes."

_'Well, I'll be damned,'_ Han thought as mummers erupted through the pilots. But talk about a long shot. A two-meter target, at high speed, likely under fire, and only one shot with proton torpedoes…

"That's impossible, even for a computer."

Han turned to find the pilot who had completed his thought. He was just a kid, surely still in his teens and shaking his dark head worriedly to the sickened look of his companion. He was right. No computer could hit that. It would take skill, and enormous amount of luck.

Han shot a look at Obi-Wan, but he was already engaged with Gold and Red Leader. The meeting was falling apart.

"Any questions?" Dodonna called out loudly once. He met the eyes of several pilots, all of whom straightened their backs, accepting their mission. "Then man your ships. And may the Force be with you."

Han peeled away quickly, before the wave of pilots could catch him, and found himself face-to-face with a scowling ground technician.

"What are you doing over here?" the man snapped at him. "I've got your cargo ready over by the pilots' room." He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "You'll have to load and transport it yourself from there."

"Great," Han said flatly, slightly taken aback. "'Bout time."

The technician responded with an expression plainly telling Han to go to hell, then hurried off to some other errand. Han blew him off with an equal amount sentiment, and headed directly for the ready-room.

"Pleasant group they got here, huh?" he muttered over his shoulder to Chewbacca as they made their way back.

We are abandoning them, Chewbacca barked in reply.

"Oh, shut up, will ya? They knew what they were gettin' themselves into when they joined this outfit. There's no reason for us to risk our skins, too. Now help me get this stuff loaded so we can get outta here."

Already Han could see the load of crates stacked hurriedly on the floor in two rows near the ready-room's outer wall, and an abandoned freight mover parked in the corner. It would take two trips to move it all with that, something Han was sure they didn't have time for.

"Hey, you finished with that?" he called out to a tech driving an empty ordnance loader. The ships in the area all seemed to be fully armed, and the long payload bay was just what Han needed.

The tech slowed and nodded. "I'm just getting' it out of the way. What do you want it for?"

"Pull it up here." Han pointed to the narrow space between the crate piles. The tech didn't even ask. He parked the loader, and rushed back in the direction he'd come from, leaving Han and Chewie to their task of loading it. They were almost finished when the call for flight groups to main their stations went out.

"I take it you're satisfied with your payment?"

Han looked over towards Obi-Wan's voice as he finished heaving a crate into place. He hadn't noticed the old man's approach in the wave of pilots that had walked by, and was surprised to see him standing calmly to the side, just watching.

"It'll do," Han answered, reaching for the next crate.

"You have ten minutes before the fighters will be launched. After that, you'll have to wait for clearance."

"Don't worry, I'll be gone." Han shoved the crate next its predecessor and turned back for another, taking in a glimpse of Obi-Wan's tattered robes. "Hey, why aren't you suited up? I figured you'd be leading this attack."

Obi-Wan smiled distantly. "No, I'm afraid piloting was never one of my strengths. I'll be in the command center."

Han paused after depositing his latest load, making as if to catch his breath as he struggled with a tugging thought. Chewbacca dropped another crate in place.

"I could get you and the princess out of here," Han suddenly offered over his better judgment. He turned stiffly back to Obi-Wan. "Take you back to Tatooine."

"That's very generous of you," Obi-Wan said graciously. "But I'm afraid it would be quite impossible to convince Leia to abandon her people."

"It's suicide, you know." Han couldn't keep the sour note out of his voice. It all seemed such a waste.

"That's a matter of perspective, Captain," Obi-Wan admonished, suddenly seeming a teacher to an errant student. Han braced for a speech over the importance of sacrifice, but the old Jedi only held up a hand in farewell. "I won't keep you," he said with a tight smile. "Spend your reward wisely."

Obi-Wan turned and began walking away, but for some reason, Han couldn't just let him go. "Hey," he called out, and drew himself up magnanimously when Obi-Wan looked back. "May the Force be with you."

"And with you, too, Captain." Obi-Wan nodded and smiled warmly this time, then disappeared into a crowd of bustling pilots.

Chewbacca howled mournfully at his departure. Han looked over to see the Wookie had stopped loading crates and was now assailing him with questioning eyes.

"What're you lookin' at?" Han lashed out bitterly, and then reached down to jerk the last crate up. "I know what I'm doin'."

xxx --- xxx --- xxx --- xxx --- xxx --- xxx --- xxx --- xxx --- xxx

"Orbiting the planet at maximum velocity. The moon with the Rebel base will be in range in thirty minutes."

The main display on the Death Star overbridge quickly cycled through the astronomical data on the Yavin system, methodically deleting the orbits of moons until only one remained. Then the display flashed to a new graphic centered on the planet, with the moon of interest shown as an outlined ghost behind it. This graphic began updating in steady blinks, slowly marching the moon closer and closer to the planet's edge, where it would be hidden no longer.

Tarkin shifted tensely next to him, but Darth Vader's attention was locked solely on the display, his focus reaching out deeper into the screen until it found in the Force the one presence he was obsessed with. Obi-Wan was down there. The old fool had followed his old mantra. Recognizing a trap, he'd chosen to spring it. Face it head on, rather than run. Predictable. But how did he plan to deal with this one, now that he was cornered? He would try something, Vader was sure. Some ruse perhaps, or desperate attack. If there was a weakness to be exploited, Obi-Wan would find it.

But Vader was here to ensure he wouldn't succeed. This would be the end for Obi-Wan, and appropriate, too, that he would die with the Alliance formed under the same misguided Jedi idealism. The war would end today with the destruction of that one small moon.

And Arkus, his son… Arkus would be unconscious until it was done. When he woke it would be to a new galaxy, though the boy wouldn't recognize it. Not until Vader showed him what his betrayal would mean to the Emperor, and what an alliance with his father could gain him. The boy couldn't go back to Palpatine. Wouldn't go back, once he understood how his precious princess had been used as nothing but a pawn. Only Vader had tried to preserve her, and now only Vader could offer him a path toward retribution.

His son would come; Vader felt this truth. And with him a new future would dawn.

Only twenty-nine minutes...


End file.
